North Korea has begun constructing a memorial for its soldiers killed fighting in Russia’s war with Ukraine, state media reported on Thursday (Oct 23), as leader Kim Jong Un hailed a “historic peak” in ties with Moscow.
The so-called Memorial Museum of Combat Feats will be built in the capital Pyongyang, where Kim and Russia’s ambassador to North Korea attended a groundbreaking ceremony, according to the Korean Central News Agency.
Kim, addressing Thursday’s event, said the museum “is a sacred sanctuary dedicated to the immortality of true patriots.”
North Korea, one of the world’s most insular nations, has become a key Russian ally since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
It has sent thousands of soldiers and container loads of weapons to help the Kremlin push Ukrainian forces out of western Russia.
At least 600 North Korean soldiers have been killed and thousands more wounded, according to estimates from South Korea.
In remarks carried by KCNA, Kim praised his country’s troops for helping Russia achieve a “decisive victory”.
“Our heroes destroyed the fiendish neo-Nazi invaders with their staunch spirit not to tolerate any aggression but to annihilate the aggressors,” Kim said.
North Korea and Russia’s relationship was “now rising to its historic peak”, he added.
Kim said the memorial would feature sculptures dedicated to the North Korean soldiers who have fought in Russia, as well as photos and artwork portraying the combat.
Moscow’s ambassador to North Korea, Aleksandr Matsegora, and other Russian embassy officials attended Thursday’s ceremony, KCNA reported.
Several North Korean government and military officials were also present, along with families of soldiers who have died in Russia.
Images released by state media showed Kim embracing visibly emotional soldiers at the ceremony in Pyongyang.
Russia and North Korea last year agreed to a strategic partnership agreement that obligates each side to provide “military and other assistance” should either of them be attacked.
