North Korea’s Kim honours soldiers who fought for Russia

North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un, publicly celebrated the country’s “heroic” soldiers who took part in Russia’s war against Ukraine, according to Arab News via Reuters on August 22nd. The ceremony, reported by North Korean state media, saw Kim awarding medals to returning soldiers and consoling children whose parents had been killed.

In his address, carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim asserted that “the combat activities of overseas operational forces… proved without regret the power of the heroic (North Korean) army.” He continued to state that the “liberation of Kursk” had demonstrated the “fighting spirit of the heroes.”

The ceremony took place in front of a memorial wall honouring those killed in combat. KCNA footage showed Kim embracing grieving children, with one young boy seen clinging tightly to him.

These ceremonies are part of a broader campaign in Pyongyang to glorify North Korean involvement in Russia’s war. This comes after reports last year which stated that North Korea is “very likely to ask” Moscow for advanced technology related to nuclear weapons in exchange for deploying troops to help Russia in its war against Ukraine.

Kim described the overseas operation as “the victorious conclusion.” However, analysts note it remains unclear whether this wording suggests that North Korean troops have been fully withdrawn from Russian territory.

Back in April, South Korean experts estimated that about 600 North Korean soldiers had died in the conflict out of a total deployment of roughly 15,000. Despite these losses, Seoul’s intelligence services believe North Korea may be preparing to send more forces.

Supporting this narrative, state television aired video footage which claimed to show North Korean troops engaged in battle in Russia’s Kursk region, near the Ukrainian border. The broadcast also listed the names and ages of fallen soldiers, as well as the circumstances of their deaths.

These developments unfold amid rising international tensions. Kim Jong Un has pledged to intensify the expansion of his nation’s nuclear arsenal after condemning joint military exercises between the United States and South Korea. Additionally, on August 18th a White House meeting with multiple world leaders including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ended without a definitive agreement on ending the fighting in Russia.

Arab News via Reuters, Maghrebi.org