Kim Jong Un Honors Fallen North Korean Soldiers in Ukraine Conflict

Sun Sep 14 2025 01:26:28 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un expresses condolences to the families of soldiers who died fighting in Ukraine, showcasing a rare acknowledgment of military losses in foreign conflicts.

In a poignant ceremony, Kim Jong Un met with the families of North Korean soldiers who lost their lives while fighting in Ukraine. His expressions of sorrow included presenting portraits of the deceased, and he pledged to support their families. This event underlines North Korea's engagement in the conflict and its military collaboration with Russia.

Kim Jong Un has met the families of soldiers killed fighting for Russia against Ukraine, expressing his deep condolences, North Korean state media reports.

In a special ceremony held on Friday, the North Korean leader was seen comforting bereaved families and presenting them portraits of their deceased loved ones wrapped in the national flag.

South Korea estimates that North Korea has dispatched around 15,000 troops to support Russia in its invasion, alongside providing missiles and long-range weapons. In return, North Korea is believed to have received food, money, and technical assistance.

North Korea publicly acknowledged its role in the international conflict for the first time in April, confirming that some of its soldiers had been killed.

Western officials estimated that at least 1,000 North Korean troops had died within three months of deployment, although more recent reports suggest the figure might be closer to 600.

Friday's ceremony was the second of its kind within a week. During the event, Kim expressed his sorrow for failing to return the soldiers alive and pledged to construct a monument in their honor while vowing to care for their children.

Kim stated, I thought a lot about other martyrs' families who were not present [at the previous ceremony]... So, I had this meeting arranged as I wanted to meet and console the bereaved families of all the heroes and relieve them of their sorrow and anguish even a little, according to the state news agency KCNA.

This meeting comes just ahead of Kim's scheduled meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in China next week to attend a military parade commemorating Japan's surrender at the end of World War Two.

It will mark their third meeting in two years as cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang deepens. Notably, last October, Kim sent Putin a birthday message, referring to him as his closest comrade. That same month, Putin proposed a bill to ratify a military pact with Kim, ensuring mutual support in case of any aggression against either nation.

Despite approximately 1.28 million active soldiers in its military, North Korea had not engaged in combat operations overseas before the Ukraine deployment.