The opening ceremony of a memorial complex and a museum dedicated to North Korean soldiers who took part in hostilities against the Ukrainian army took place in Pyongyang. The event was reported by the Russian Parliament's Telegram channel.
During the ceremony, Kim Jong Un emphasized that North Korean and Russian soldiers “fought side by side in one trench” and achieved successes that, according to him, played a key role in “preventing the resurgence of fascism and the military ambitions of hegemonic forces.”
On the Russian side, the event was attended by the Chairman of the State Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin, and the Minister of Defense, Andrei Belousov. Volodin read a message from Russian President Vladimir Putin, which emphasized that North Korean soldiers “showed exceptional courage” and their actions “will forever remain in the heart of every Russian citizen.”
After the ceremony, Volodin and Kim Jong Un visited the museum and laid flowers at the memorial wall. In the guest book of honor, Volodin wrote that the memorial complex is a “symbol of Russian-Korean fighting brotherhood” and thanked North Korea for helping “liberate the Kursk Oblast from Ukrainian neo-Nazis and foreign mercenaries.”
As reported, the complex is dedicated to soldiers of the Korean People's Army who took part in fighting in the Kursk Oblast on the side of Russia. According to NATO data, North Korea previously sent about 11,000 to Russia. soldiers to participate in battles, of which approximately 1.5 thousand died, and another 3.5 thousand were injured.
North Korea has also supplied Russia with weapons and military support worth billions of dollars. According to estimates by the South Korean Institute for National Security Strategy, the total value of such support in 2023–2025 was between USD 7.7 and 14.6 billion. The report noted that Russia settles its accounts by transferring military technologies and components, and that a significant part of the cooperation is the supply of ammunition.
