This photo carried by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency on Friday, shows the North’s leader awarding the title of “Hero of the Republic” to service members who were deployed to Russia’s war with Ukraine. (Yonhap) North Korea has held a commendation ceremony for the North’s troops deployed to Russia’s war with Ukraine as leader Kim Jong-un called them “great heroes and patriots,” state media reported Friday.
The North held a ceremony to award state commendations to commanders and combatants of the overseas operation unit of the Korean People’s Army who returned home after participating in the fighting, according to the Korean Central News Agency.
It marked the first time that North Korea has awarded commendation to its soldiers who fought overseas.
The North’s leader lauded troops deployed to the front-line Kursk region as “great heroes and patriots” in his speech at the ceremony held at the headquarters of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea.
“The victory won by the brave soldiers who participated in the war is a great feat that firmly defended the great honour of the KPA, which should never be undermined, and provided a sure guarantee for the existence and development of our state,” Kim said.
He said the bravery shown by North Korean troops affirmed that an army from any country cannot avoid the fate of becoming “dead souls” if it fights against the North’s military.
At the ceremony, Kim awarded the title of “DPRK Hero to commanders and service members for their “distinguished” feats on the battlefields, the KCNA said, referring to the acronym of the North’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
He also put the DPRK Hero medals beside the portraits of “martyrs,” who sacrificed their youth and lives for the war.
Kim observed a moment of silence in memory of fallen soldiers and consoled their bereaved families who attended the ceremony, the KCNA said.
While decorating the overseas military operation unit, Kim called for the KPA to become “elite and strong” armed forces and for “perfecting” preparations for war against “military provocation” moves by the enemies.
“This environment gives no room to lower our guard and requires our army’s further perfect and overwhelming preparations (for war),” he said.
Seoul’s unification ministry said Thursday that Kim’s meeting with commanders of the KPA’s overseas unit the previous day appears aimed at “justifying the deployment and boosting morale” of the military.
The ceremony came amid expectations that Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, may hold a summit for a peace deal to end the three years of fighting.
North Korea has sent thousands of troops and conventional weapons to support Russia’s war efforts since October last year. Russia’s media reported the North will send 5,000 military construction workers and 1,000 sappers to Kursk to support reconstruction efforts. (Yonhap)