North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has awarded medals to soldiers who fought for Russia in the war against Ukraine, emphasizing future military cooperation with Moscow.
Kim held an emotional meeting with the families of soldiers killed in the conflict, according to state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). The combat activities of North Korean overseas operational forces were highlighted by Kim as proving the power of the heroic North Korean army. The “liberation of Kursk” exemplified the fighting spirit of the heroes, Kim said, adding that the North Korean army would continue to do what it ought to and what needs to be done.
The leader laid a flower at a memorial for fallen North Korean soldiers and organized a concert and banquet for those who returned from serving in Russia, including bereaved family members of slain troops. Photos showed Kim embracing emotional family members. South Korean and Western intelligence agencies estimate that over 10,000 North Korean soldiers, along with weapons, were sent to Russia’s Kursk region in 2024 to aid in the war against Ukraine. About 600 of these soldiers were killed, with thousands more wounded, according to Seoul’s intelligence.
This move comes as U.S. President Donald Trump attempts, so far unsuccessfully, to end the Russia-Ukraine war. Russian President Vladimir Putin, who praised the North Korean troops as heroic, has declined to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for peace talks, and Russian attacks on Ukraine have escalated. Russia and North Korea have strengthened their ties, including signing a mutual defense pact last year when Putin visited North Korea.
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/8/22/north-koreas-kim-jong-un-hails-troops-killed-in-heroic-war-with-ukraine?traffic_source=rss
