{"id":1569,"date":"2025-08-23T23:25:51","date_gmt":"2025-08-23T23:25:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/?p=1569"},"modified":"2025-08-23T23:25:51","modified_gmt":"2025-08-23T23:25:51","slug":"kim-jong-un-pays-emotional-tribute-to-north-korean-soldiers-killed-in-russia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/?p=1569","title":{"rendered":"Kim Jong Un pays emotional tribute to North Korean soldiers killed in Russia"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Kim Jong Un\u00a0hosted an emotional ceremony to pay tribute to the North Korean soldiers who were sent to fight in Vladimir Putin\u2019s war against\u00a0Ukraine, in a\u00a0rare public admission of military losses\u00a0in a foreign conflict.<\/p>\n<p>Pictures published in state media showed the North Korean dictator handing out medals, hugging servicemen, comforting the crying children of fallen soldiers and kneeling in front of their portraits.<\/p>\n<p>Mr Kim said in a speech at the ceremony this week that his troops displayed courage and \u201cfighting spirit of the heroes\u201d during their mission to reclaim\u00a0Russia\u2019s Kursk region from Ukrainian forces,\u00a0KCNA said.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Tearful Kim Jong Un pays tribute to North Korean soldiers killed fighting for Russia\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/tdykuTWTm0A?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>North Korea is the only country other than Russia and Ukraine to deploy frontline soldiers in the war, though their role has so far been limited to operations on Russian soil. South Korean intelligence \u2013 which first reported the North Korean troops\u2019 involvement in Russia \u2013 has said\u00a0North Korea deployed nearly 15,000 troops\u00a0in Russia, of whom an estimated 600 were killed.<\/p>\n<p>Kim praised his forces as \u201ca heroic army\u201d and called them \u201cthe greatest pride of our state\u201d in a speech at the ceremony at Mokran House in Pyongyang.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"caas-figure\">\n<div class=\"caas-figure-with-pb\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"caas-img-container caas-img-lightbox\" data-lightbox-src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/4fRCea5HCI4uE5I7uSvGig--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTI0MDA7aD0xNTkyO2NmPXdlYnA-\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/the_independent_577\/128a486790cc50c60c24e34cfd8d9c3d\"><span class=\"caas-img-wrapper\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"caas-img caas-lazy has-preview caas-loaded\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/DI40G9vMBM7SYbGehfBJbQ--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTYzNztjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/the_independent_577\/128a486790cc50c60c24e34cfd8d9c3d\" alt=\"North Korean leader Kim Jong attends a national commendation ceremony for the commanders and fighters of the overseas operations unit of the Korean People's Army at the headquarters of the Central Committee of the Korean Workers' Party,  in Pyongyang, North Korea (KCNA)\" data-caas-lazy-loading-init=\"1\" \/><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"caption-wrapper caption-aligned-with-image\">\n<div class=\"caption-wrapper caption-aligned-with-image\"><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption id=\"m-12\" class=\"caption-collapse\">North Korean leader Kim Jong attends a national commendation ceremony for the commanders and fighters of the overseas operations unit of the Korean People&#8217;s Army at the headquarters of the Central Committee of the Korean Workers&#8217; Party, in Pyongyang, North Korea (KCNA)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cThe participants of overseas operations, through their steadfast struggle and noble sacrifice, achieved great feats that will be remembered in history forever,\u201d Mr Kim said in a speech.<\/p>\n<p>The North Korean government then held a banquet to celebrate the unit that had returned, KCNA reported.<\/p>\n<p>Mr Kim expressed sorrow for \u201cthe martyrs who sacrificed their lives and that he could not repress his regret at failing to bring them all together to this glorious place\u201d.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"caas-figure\">\n<div class=\"caas-figure-with-pb\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"caas-img-container caas-img-lightbox\" data-lightbox-src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/ASVIIrhcxTafhcFKWKyhmg--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTI0MDA7aD0xNTkyO2NmPXdlYnA-\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/the_independent_577\/21b5709f7bd706b723b2bfc560efa19e\"><span class=\"caas-img-wrapper\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"caas-img caas-lazy has-preview caas-loaded\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/0KP8Z0lzO6dFJGv.KeYdFQ--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTYzNztjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/the_independent_577\/21b5709f7bd706b723b2bfc560efa19e\" alt=\"Kim Jong Un meeting with bereaved families during a ceremony to award state commendations to the commander and combatants of the Korean People's Army's Overseas Operational Forces (KCNA VIA KNS\/AFP via Getty Image)\" data-caas-lazy-loading-init=\"1\" \/><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"caption-wrapper caption-aligned-with-image\">\n<div class=\"caption-wrapper caption-aligned-with-image\"><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption id=\"m-13\" class=\"caption-collapse\">Kim Jong Un meeting with bereaved families during a ceremony to award state commendations to the commander and combatants of the Korean People&#8217;s Army&#8217;s Overseas Operational Forces (KCNA VIA KNS\/AFP via Getty Image)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Mr Kim said the troops represented their country in the \u201cbattlefield which became the focus of the world\u201d, proving the might of the heroic North Koreans.<\/p>\n<p>Pictures showed Mr Kim pinning medals to soldiers\u2019 uniforms and meeting the emotional family members of the fallen soldiers.<\/p>\n<p>As well as soldiers, North Korea has sent a large amount of military equipment to Russia to support its invasion of Ukraine, following landmark meetings between Mr Kim and Russian leader Vladimir Putin at which they reaffirmed the strength of their alliance.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"caas-figure\">\n<div class=\"caas-figure-with-pb\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"caas-img-container caas-img-lightbox\" data-lightbox-src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/O6bdKcivJeZyo7LPjx0BGQ--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTI0MDA7aD0xNTY2O2NmPXdlYnA-\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/the_independent_577\/dab808ea2aa113b05dafce565e18101a\"><span class=\"caas-img-wrapper\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"caas-img caas-lazy has-preview caas-loaded\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/t8rp7PLGI7UCjlzUy_yW9A--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTYyNjtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/the_independent_577\/dab808ea2aa113b05dafce565e18101a\" alt=\"North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visiting the memorial wall at a ceremony to award state commendations (KCNA VIA KNS\/AFP via Getty Image)\" data-caas-lazy-loading-init=\"1\" \/><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"caption-wrapper caption-aligned-with-image\">\n<div class=\"caption-wrapper caption-aligned-with-image\"><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption id=\"m-14\" class=\"caption-collapse\">North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visiting the memorial wall at a ceremony to award state commendations (KCNA VIA KNS\/AFP via Getty Image)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The deployment was not initially acknowledged in public either by Pyongyang or Moscow, even as Ukrainian and South Korean intelligence reported the first North Korean soldiers killed fighting on the Kursk frontline.<\/p>\n<p>Ties have continued to deepen between the two isolated regions united in their fight against Western powers. Last week, Mr Kim and his Russian counterpart held a phone call to discuss their deepening ties and developments in the Ukraine war.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"caas-figure\">\n<div class=\"caas-figure-with-pb\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"caas-img-container caas-img-lightbox\" data-lightbox-src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/25ZguKsIfsSqYVMJxaRFYg--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTI0MDA7aD0xNjE0O2NmPXdlYnA-\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/the_independent_577\/11372e61aae7e9d372fa5bf01e56d005\"><span class=\"caas-img-wrapper\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"caas-img caas-lazy has-preview caas-loaded\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/Yel3vX3k3FvlS6gAauf0Aw--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0NjtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/the_independent_577\/11372e61aae7e9d372fa5bf01e56d005\" alt=\"Hundreds of North Korean soldiers are believed to have been killed in the war (KCNA VIA KNS\/AFP via Getty Image)\" data-caas-lazy-loading-init=\"1\" \/><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"caption-wrapper caption-aligned-with-image\">\n<div class=\"caption-wrapper caption-aligned-with-image\"><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption id=\"m-15\" class=\"caption-collapse\">Hundreds of North Korean soldiers are believed to have been killed in the war (KCNA VIA KNS\/AFP via Getty Image)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>That call came ahead of Mr Putin\u2019s summit with\u00a0Donald Trump in Alaska last week. In his remarks to Mr Kim, the Russian leader also praised the \u201cbravery, heroism and self-sacrificing spirit\u201d of the North Korean troops.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Kim Jong Un\u00a0hosted an emotional ceremony to pay tribute to the North Korean soldiers who were sent to<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,63,51],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1569","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","category-north-korean","category-russia"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1569","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1569"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1569\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1570,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1569\/revisions\/1570"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1569"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1569"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1569"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}