Kim Jong Un’s public tribute to North Korean soldiers killed in the Russia-Ukraine war marks a significant and rare acknowledgment of battlefield losses by Pyongyang. The ceremony, which took place during a gala concert in Pyongyang on June 30, was held to commemorate the first anniversary of the military treaty between North Korea and Russia. Photos of Kim resting his hands on flag-draped coffins were displayed, highlighting the somber tone of the event.
South Korean intelligence estimates indicate that North Korea has sent around 15,000 troops to support Russia’s war efforts in Ukraine, suffering approximately 4,700 casualties, including 600 deaths. Analysts suggest that more deployments are expected as early as July or August, according to South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS). The event was attended by top North Korean officials, including Kim’s sister Kim Yo Jong and Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui, all dressed in winter clothing, suggesting the repatriation of the fallen may have taken place months earlier.
The gala concert at the East Pyongyang Grand Theatre featured performances by North Korean and visiting Russian artists, with images celebrating the alliance displayed. Scenes of soldiers from both countries waving flags and purported pages from a blood-stained notebook said to belong to a North Korean soldier killed in Russia’s Kursk Oblast were shown. The Guardian reported that the ceremony marked the first time North Korean state media had shown footage and photos of fallen troops in a way accessible to the North Korean public.
Footage broadcast on state-run KRT showed Kim appearing emotional at times while seated next to Russian Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova and his daughter, Kim Ju Ae. Audience members were seen wiping away tears. Kim met with Lyubimova in Pyongyang on June 29 to discuss expanding bilateral cooperation in culture and the arts. North Korea initially denied sending combat troops to Ukraine, but Kim’s tribute follows official confirmations of Pyongyang’s direct military involvement in the Russia-Ukraine war.
In April, both Kim and Putin described North Korean troops deployed to Ukraine as ‘heroes,’ as per a report by the Kyiv Independent. Kim also announced plans to build a monument in Pyongyang to honor the fallen and lay flowers at their tombstones. Pyongyang has reportedly begun recruiting additional soldiers for future deployments. The move would add to what Seoul describes as significant military support from North Korea, including more than 10 million artillery shells and multiple ballistic missile transfers in exchange for economic and technical assistance from Moscow.
North Korea may also send up to 25,000 laborers to Russia to support drone production, including Shahed-type loitering munitions at the Alabuga Special Economic Zone in Tatarstan. Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu visited North Korea on June 17 under a special directive from Putin and announced a deal for Pyongyang to send 1,000 sappers and 5,000 military engineers to Russia’s Kursk Oblast. Thousands of North Korean troops reportedly participated in front-line operations there, helping Russia repel a Ukrainian cross-border offensive that began in August 2024.
U.K. defense intelligence places North Korean casualties from that operation at more than 6,000. The Russian attacks have intensified, with the use of sound as a weapon, as reported in an article from The Kyiv Independent. The article highlights how the use of sound has changed the relationship between the population and the environment, with the sound of air raids becoming a part of daily life for many residents.