N. Korea breaks ground on memorial museum for its troops killed in Russia’s war with Ukraine
Daniel Kim Views
North Korea has held a groundbreaking ceremony for a memorial museum in Pyongyang to honor its troops who died while fighting alongside Russia in the war with Ukraine, calling it a “great symbol” of the North’s ties with Moscow, state media reported Friday.
The North held the ceremony for the Memorial Museum of Combat Feats at the Overseas Military Operations the previous day, with leader Kim Jong-un and other key officials present, according to the Korean Central News Agency.
During a speech at the ceremony, the North’s leader called the memorial hall a “great symbol” of bilateral relations between North Korea and Russia that are being “consolidated day after day.”
“In the battlefields of fierce conflict between justice and injustice in the world, the relations between the two countries have passed the strictest test for their solidity,” Kim said. “Pyongyang will always be with Moscow.”
Since October last year, North Korea has sent around 15,000 troops to participate in the Russia-Ukraine war following a mutual defense treaty signed in June 2024.
South Korea’s spy agency said in April that some 600 North Korean soldiers are believed to have been killed while fighting for Russia, and more than 4,000 North Korean troops have also been injured.
“Just one year ago from today the last group of the combatants of our expeditionary forces left for Russia … They left expecting no reward or send-off,” Kim said.
He said the North-Russia ties have been further elevated as “those based on the highest trust with which they fight in the same trench for the same purpose, the most genuine and solid relations based on which they share the same destiny,” according to the KCNA.
It would mark the first time that North Korea will build a memorial hall for the North’s troops deployed overseas.
In the memorial museum, located in Pyongyang’s Hwasong district, a cemetery, a memorial hall and a monument for fallen soldiers will be erected. Photos, art works and the remains of the battles will also be displayed.
Kim shoveled the first scoop of earth to mark the start of the construction. From Russia’s side, Russian Ambassador to North Korea Alexandr Matsegora attended the ceremony.
The event also brought together North Korean troops who returned home after combat in Ukraine and bereaved families. Photos carried by the KCNA showed Kim hugging and stroking the faces of some soldiers.
In August, North Korea held a commendation ceremony for the North’s troops deployed to the Russia-Ukraine war. At that time, Kim disclosed a plan to build a new street in Pyongyang’s Taesong district in memory of the fallen troops’ exploits, naming it Sappyol Street, which means morning star. (Yonhap)
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