North Korea to Honor Fallen Troops from Ukraine War
Seoul— North Korea will hold a burial ceremony this month for soldiers killed while fighting alongside Russia in the war against Ukraine, state media reported on Friday, highlighting Pyongyang’s deepening involvement in the conflict.
The ceremony, scheduled for mid-April, will coincide with the inauguration of a newly built memorial museum dedicated to troops killed during overseas deployment, particularly in Russia’s Kursk region, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
South Korean officials estimate that around 2,000 North Korean troops have been killed since Pyongyang deployed thousands of personnel, along with missiles and munitions, to support Moscow’s war effort. North Korea confirmed last year that its forces were engaged in combat operations abroad and had suffered casualties.
Leader Kim Jong Un has overseen preparations for the ceremony and inspected the nearly completed museum, which state media said is 97% finished. KCNA reported that Kim praised the project as a symbol of “heroism” and described it as a site for promoting patriotism and commemorating the fallen.
Analysts say North Korea’s support for Russia has been reciprocated through financial assistance, food supplies, energy resources and military technology transfers, helping Pyongyang mitigate the impact of international sanctions imposed over its nuclear weapons program.
The burial ceremony will mark the first anniversary of what state media described as the “liberation operations” in Kursk, underscoring Pyongyang’s alignment with Moscow’s narrative of the conflict.
Kim has previously presided over similar commemorative events, with state media releasing images showing him paying respects to fallen soldiers, including ceremonies involving flag-draped coffins and interactions with returning troops.
