Pyongyang, North Korea — In a rare public acknowledgment, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un paid tribute to soldiers killed while fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine, during a gala concert in Pyongyang marking the one-year anniversary of a military pact with Russia, reports the Guardian.
Coffins of North Koreans Killed in Ukraine
The event, held over the weekend, featured performances by North Korean and Russian artists and included a poignant display of images projected on a large screen. Among them were photographs of Kim solemnly placing his hands on coffins draped in North Korean flags, believed to contain the remains of fallen soldiers. The coffins, numbering around six, were part of a ceremony reportedly held earlier this year, with Kim, his sister Kim Yo-jong, and Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui in attendance, dressed in winter clothing.
Other images showed North Korean and Russian soldiers waving flags together, followed by pages from a blood-stained notebook, allegedly belonging to a North Korean soldier in Russia’s Kursk region. The notebook contained phrases such as “The decisive moment has finally come” and references to fighting under Kim’s “boundless love and trust,” according to state media reports.
The emotional display, which moved Kim, his daughter Kim Ju-ae, and Russian Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova in the audience, marked a shift from North Korea’s earlier denials of troop deployments to Ukraine. State media now frames the soldiers’ deaths as part of a heroic narrative, emphasizing a “bond forged at the cost of blood” with Russia, particularly after both nations claimed success in retaking Kursk.
15,000 North Korean Troops Deployed to Ukraine
In April, Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin publicly confirmed the deployment of North Korean troops, hailing them as “heroes.” Kim pledged to erect a monument in Pyongyang and lay flowers at their graves, marking the regime’s first official acknowledgment of combat losses. South Korean intelligence estimates approximately 15,000 North Korean soldiers have been deployed since last fall, with around 4,700 casualties, including 600 deaths. Reports suggest additional deployments may be planned.
The deepening military ties between North Korea and Russia also involve significant arms transfers, with Pyongyang supplying ammunition, shells, and missiles, likely in exchange for Russian technology and aid. This growing alliance continues to draw international attention.