North Korean state media reported on Thursday that communist dictator Kim Jong-un held a special event to honor his commanding officers in charge of North Korean troops aiding the Russian invasion of Ukraine, offering “warm militant encouragement” and applause for their alleged success on the battlefield.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) also highlighted supportive communications between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his North Korean counterpart Choe Son Hui — a reminder to the world of Pyongyang’s core function of supporting Russia as peace talks continue to find a way to end its invasion of Ukraine.
North Korea signed a mutual defense agreement in June 2024, during the first visit by Russian strongman Vladimir Putin to the country in 20 years. Shortly thereafter, the Ukrainian government began sharing the first evidence of what became a robust North Korean presence supporting Russia on the battlefield during the invasion. Kim Jong-un’s regime ultimately admitted to having sent troops to the invasion in April, but claimed the troops were only operating in Kursk, undisputed Russian territory that Ukraine counter-invaded in August 2024.
It remains unclear how many forces Kim moved into the Ukraine war theater, but some reports based on alleged South Korean intelligence last year estimated that as many as 15,000 North Koreans may be fighting in Ukraine, and the country has lost roughly 600 soldiers.
Pyongyang’s decision to boost its recognition of the leaders of its Kursk mission follows a highly anticipated in-person meeting between Putin and American President Donald Trump last week intended to facilitate negotiations towards an end to the Russian invasion. Trump followed up the meeting by hosting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and several western European leaders in the White House on Monday to discuss necessary steps towards achieving long-term peace.
The North Korean state newspaper Rodong Sinmun did not mention the Trump-Russia summit or subsequent White House meeting in its coverage of Kim’s meeting with the Ukraine war veterans. It instead highlighted the alleged heroism of the commanders and shared Kim’s praise for them. The meeting was allegedly a ceremony to award soldiers for their fight against Ukraine.
“After receiving a detailed report on the military activities of the combat units of our armed forces in the overseas operational area from the commanding officers,” Rodong Sinmun narrated, “the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un highly appreciated their feats of leading the combat units of our armed forces, which participated in the operations to liberate the Kursk Region of the Russian Federation, to victory.”
“Ours is a heroic army. It is because our army is made up of the sons whose lives were given by our heroic people and who have been raised by them,” Kim was quoted as telling the commanders. “Such a result has cemented its appellation and reputation as the most powerful army in the world, giving everyone a clear understanding of it. Our army is now doing what it ought to do and what needs to be done. It will do so in the future, too.”
Kim honored his soldiers fighting against Ukraine in July in a much more somber capacity, attending an event marking the deaths of the soldiers killed supporting Russia. North Korean state media published images at the time of Kim crying while watching footage of himself receiving the coffins of slain North Korean soldiers.
The Ukrainian government first confirmed the presence of North Korean soldiers on the battlefield in January, when Zelensky published videos on social media of men he alleged were captured North Korean soldiers. He credited the government of South Korea, which has been supportive of Ukraine’s self-defense efforts for the past three years, for providing translators to communicate with the men.
Putin ramped up efforts to bring Moscow closer to Pyongyang over the past decade, culminating in his visit in June, and has endeavored to keep North Korea geopolitically relevant. Russia has in some ways eclipsed China, North Korea’s traditional patron, as a top partner.
The Russian strongman notably called Kim last week in anticipation of his meeting with Putin, updating him on preparations for the meeting. Kim met with Trump on three occasions during the latter’s first term in office, including one meeting on the inter-Korean border in which Trump became the first American president to step foot on North Korean soil. According to North Korean state media, Putin told Kim he “highly appreciated once again the support provided by the DPRK [North Korea] and the bravery, heroism, and self-sacrificing spirit displayed by service personnel of the Korean People’s Army in liberating Kursk, a part of Russian territory.”
The Kremlin confirmed the two discussed “the upcoming talks with U.S. President Donald Trump.”
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