Pyongyang, North Korea – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un publicly welcomed and honored soldiers of the Korean People’s Army (KPA) who served alongside Russian forces in the ongoing war in Ukraine. The ceremony, held on Friday in Pyongyang, focused on the 528th Regiment of Engineers, returning from a 120-day deployment in Russia’s Kursk region.
Kim Praises Troops for “Mass Heroism”
State media KCNA reported that Kim embraced injured soldiers in wheelchairs and lauded the regiment’s efforts in combat and engineering duties, including mine clearance in areas formerly held by Ukrainian forces.
“You could work a miracle of turning a vast area of danger zone into a safe and secure one in a matter of less than three months, a task that was previously believed impossible,” Kim said, according to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency.
Kim also criticized Western military powers, claiming their “latest military hardware” could not match the “unfathomable spiritual depth” of North Korea’s army.
Honoring the Fallen
During the ceremony, Kim acknowledged the loss of nine regiment members and announced the unit would receive the Order of Freedom and Independence, while the deceased soldiers would be posthumously awarded the title Hero of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Video released by North Korean state media showed soldiers disembarking from an aircraft, with Kim personally embracing those injured during deployment.
North Korea’s Role in Russia-Ukraine War
Under a mutual defense pact between Pyongyang and Moscow, roughly 14,000 North Korean soldiers have been deployed to assist Russian forces in Ukraine. Casualty estimates for North Korean troops range between 3,000 and 4,000, including both killed and wounded.
The 528th Regiment’s overseas deployment began in early August and lasted four months, combining combat operations with critical engineering work such as mine clearing, helping Russia reclaim Ukrainian-occupied areas in the Kursk region.
Previous Ceremonies and State Messaging
Friday’s event follows a pattern of high-profile ceremonies honoring North Korean soldiers serving in Ukraine. In October, Kim was seen embracing grieving soldiers at the ground-breaking of a memorial for troops who fought for Russia. Earlier, in June, state media broadcast images of Kim draping coffins with North Korea’s flag, reportedly marking the repatriation of soldiers’ remains from Russia.
Kim emphasized that North Korea’s “ever-victorious army” demonstrates the prestige of the DPRK military and portrays the country as a defender of what he called “international justice.”
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