Kim Jong Un publicly honours North Korean soldiers killed in Russia-Ukraine war

Kim Jong Un publicly honoured the memory of North Korean soldiers killed during Russia’s war with Ukraine for the first time, placing his hands on their coffins in a rare open acknowledgement of his army’s losses in the conflict.

According to The Guardian, footage of this was shown on a large screen during a gala event in Pyongyang on June 29, marking the first anniversary of the military pact between North Korea and Russia. 

The event, held at the Grand Theatre of East Pyongyang, featured performances by North Korean and Russian artists and included images celebrating the “blood-bound alliance” forged by the leaders of the two countries. Present in the hall were Russia’s Minister of Culture Olga Lyubimova, Kim Jong Un himself, and his daughter, Kim Ju Ae.

Photos of Kim Jong Un standing before half a dozen coffins draped with North Korean flags were accompanied by other images: soldiers of both countries waving flags, as well as pictures of a bloodstained notebook allegedly found on a battlefield in Russia’s Kursk region.

The notebook contained inscriptions such as “The decisive moment has finally arrived” and “Let us bravely fight this sacred battle with boundless love and trust granted to us by our beloved Supreme Commander” — a clear reference to Kim Jong Un’s cult of personality.

It remains unclear when exactly the bodies of the fallen North Korean soldiers were repatriated. Kim Jong Un and his associates were seen dressed in winter clothing, suggesting the remains may have returned to North Korea several months ago.

Until now, North Korea has denied sending its soldiers to fight alongside Russia in Ukraine, but the regime is now clearly trying to turn their deaths into a patriotic heroic narrative, portraying them as “heroes” in the fight against the West.

South Korean intelligence reports that since last fall, North Korea has sent about 15,000 soldiers to the front in Ukraine and has suffered losses of around 4,700 personnel, including approximately 600 killed. In April, Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin officially confirmed North Korean troops’ participation in the war for the first time, calling them “heroes.” Kim Jong Un also pledged to build a monument in their honour in Pyongyang and to lay flowers at their graves.

Furthermore, North Korea has actively supplied Russia with ammunition, artillery shells, ballistic missiles, and other weapons, receiving in return arms, satellite technology, and economic assistance.

By Tamilla Hasanova