North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was shown kneeling before portraits of soldiers killed while fighting for Russia in Ukraine and embracing returning troops in a ceremony broadcast by state media on Friday.
The images, released by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), depict Kim presenting medals, laying flowers beside portraits of the fallen, and consoling emotional soldiers who survived the conflict. Pyongyang hailed the troops as “heroes” who sacrificed their youth and lives in a foreign war.
South Korean and Western intelligence estimates indicate that North Korea sent more than 10,000 soldiers to Russia in 2024, primarily to the Kursk region, alongside artillery, missiles, and long-range rocket systems. Around 600 North Korean soldiers have been killed, with thousands more wounded, according to Seoul.
The ceremony, held at the Workers’ Party headquarters in Pyongyang, displayed portraits of fallen soldiers alongside their names. KCNA reported that Kim praised the troops who returned “with great honour” after enduring the “hail of bullets and bombs of the life-and-death war in the foreign country.”
In one widely circulated image, Kim was seen embracing a soldier who appeared overwhelmed, burying his face in the leader’s chest. He also knelt before portraits of fallen soldiers and awarded the title of “DPRK hero” to commanding officers recognized for “distinguished feats” in overseas operations. KCNA said he met bereaved families to console them and share “the pain of loss.”
North Korea only confirmed the deployment of troops to support Russia in April 2024 and acknowledged that its soldiers had been killed in combat. Russian President Vladimir Putin praised North Korean forces as “heroic” in a letter to Kim, according to Pyongyang’s media.
U.S. officials have warned that Russia is increasing support for North Korea, including assistance on advanced space and satellite technology, in exchange for its military assistance in Ukraine. Analysts have noted that satellite launchers and intercontinental ballistic missiles share much of the same underlying technology.
