North Korea Opens Memorial for Troops Killed Fighting Alongside Russia in Ukraine War

By Kim Soo-yeon SEOUL, April 27 (Yonhap) -- Pyongyang has opened a memorial honoring North Korean troops killed while fighting alongside Russia in the war against Ukraine, with leader Kim Jong-un stressing the need to strengthen Pyongyang-Moscow ties into a "powerful bulwark" in a ceremony marking its opening, state media reported Monday. The North held the opening ceremony of the Memorial Museum of Combat Feats at the Overseas Military Operations in Pyongyang the previous day on the occasion of the first anniversary of the "liberation" of the Kursk region from Ukraine forces, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). The ceremony was held to mark Russia's recapture on April 26, 2025, of the front-line Kursk region from Ukraine, attended by key officials from North Korea and Russia, including Russia's parliamentary speaker and defense minister, the report said. Since 2024, North Korea has sent around 15,000 combat troops and conventional weapons to Russia to support Moscow's war against Ukraine. Seoul's spy agency earlier said about 6,000 North Korean soldiers were estimated to have been killed or injured in the prolonged war. In a speech at the ceremony, Kim said the memorial museum represents North Korea and Russia's commitment to bolstering bilateral ties, noting their ties were forged in "blood." "No matter how the rules of war change and whenever and wherever a crisis occurs, we should be strengthened into a sincere, dedicated and powerful bulwark with unified power," Kim was quoted as saying by the KCNA. He added the operations to liberate Kursk had a "strategic" meaning, stressing that North Korea and Russia have deterred the revival of fascism and crushed war ambitions of hegemonic forces by fighting shoulder to shoulder to defend peace and sovereignty. North Korea and Russia have been deepening military cooperation since Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a mutual defense treaty in Pyongyang in June 2024. In a letter conveyed by Russia's defense chief to Kim, Putin said the memorial will "undoubtedly be a clear symbol of friendship" between the two countries, according to the KCNA. "I am convinced that we will continue to strengthen the comprehensive strategic partnership between the Russian Federation and the DPRK by joint efforts," Putin said, using the acronym for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Also on Sunday, the North Korean leader met with Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov and Vyacheslav Volodin, speaker of Russia's Duma, the lower house of parliament, according to the KCNA. Kim and Belousov discussed a series of issues for further consolidating and developing "political and military cooperation, as well as assistance between the two nations," it said. Kim said North Korea will fully support Russia's efforts to defend its national sovereignty, territorial integrity and security interests, according to the KCNA. Russia's Tass news agency quoted Belousov as telling Kim that Russia is prepared to sign a "Russian-Korean military cooperation plan for the 2027-2031 period." In a separate meeting with the Russian parliamentary speaker, Kim assessed Russia's sending of a high-level delegation to the ceremony as Moscow's commitment to developing its ties with Pyongyang, the KCNA report said.