North Korea’s Kim honours presumed war dead from Russia-Ukraine conflict
The emotional display coincided with a gala performance celebrating the anniversary of North Korea’s strategic partnership with Russia
In a series of photographs displayed in the backdrop of a gala performance at the weekend by North Korean and visiting Russian artists in Pyongyang, Kim is seen by rows of half a dozen coffins, covering them with flags and pausing briefly with both hands resting on them.
The scene followed images of North Korean and Russian soldiers waving their national flags with patriotic notes written in Korean. Kim is seen at the gala, seemingly overcome with emotion, and audience members wiping away tears.
The footage also showed images of North Korean soldiers in the battlefield, accompanied by captions that said: “Oh, our heroes, shining stars of my homeland” and “those who gave their lives without hesitation to defend honour shine like radiant stars”.
A photograph of a document, purportedly penned by Kim, was also featured, with a caption saying he had “approved operational plans for the liberation of Kursk and issued attack orders to special operations units” in the final months of 2024.
North Korea’s state-owned Korean Central Television aired the performance, which was attended by Russian Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova who is leading a delegation to mark the first anniversary of the two countries’ strategic partnership treaty as Kim’s guest.
The performance was enthusiastically received for inspiring confidence in the “ties of friendship and the genuine internationalist obligation between the peoples and armies of the two countries that were forged at the cost of blood”, the official KCNA news agency said.