North Korean leader Kim Jong Un promised “a beautiful life” to the families of “martyrs” who lost their lives fighting for Russia in the conflict against Ukraine, as reported by state media on Saturday, commending the bereaved for the sacrifices made by their sons and husbands.
On Friday, Kim met with the families of the soldiers and conveyed his “grief at having failed to save the precious lives” of the deceased troops who sacrificed themselves to uphold the honour of the nation, according to the KCNA state news agency.
Kim expressed that the courageous deeds of the troops and commanders were made possible by the strength and resilience of their families, whom he described as “the most tenacious, patriotic, and just people in the world,” addressing the parents, spouses, and children, as reported by KCNA.
He remarked, “They did not write even a short letter to me, but I think they must have entrusted their families, including those beloved children, to me.”
He assured them that the country would “provide you with a beautiful life in the country defended at the cost of the lives of the martyrs.”
North Korea’s state television displayed Kim bowing deeply to family members who appeared to be overwhelmed with emotion during the event.
This meeting was the latest tribute to troops who endured significant casualties in Russia’s Kursk region, which borders Ukraine, following Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s acknowledgment of the deployment in April after a prolonged period of silence.
On Saturday, state television broadcast a 25-minute documentary featuring footage of soldiers allegedly participating in “Operation Kursk Liberation” aimed at driving Ukrainian forces from the Russian region adjacent to Ukraine.
Reuters was unable to independently verify the authenticity of the footage depicting North Korean troops engaged in combat.
The documentary indicated that Kim decided to deploy troops to Russia last August, revealing for the first time that this decision was made two months after he and Putin signed a security treaty that included a mutual defence agreement.
Kim is scheduled to meet Putin in China next week for a military parade commemorating Japan’s surrender in World War Two. This will mark their third meeting in two years, during which they have significantly strengthened their military alliance.
The two nations have not revealed the extent of the deployment or the number of casualties incurred by North Korean forces. According to South Korea’s intelligence agency, approximately 600 have died out of a total deployment of 15,000.
Western intelligence estimates suggest that the number of casualties may exceed 6,000.
