North Korean leader Kim Jong-un greeted returning soldiers from an engineering regiment that recently finished a successful mine-clearing mission in Russia’s Kursk region. At that ceremony, held in the April 25 House of Culture in Pyongyang, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reportedly gave thanks and lament. He visited graveyards where he paid his respects to fallen soldiers and awarded state honors to those who fell in battle.
This photo from the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) accompanied their report on the ceremony. Kim Jong-un celebrated nine members of the regiment who died in their 120-day deployment that started last August. He made sure to acknowledge the intense emotional burden of the task. In addressing the families of the fallen soldiers, he provided shelter for them by honoring their courage and sacrifice in such a troublesome time.
In his speech, Kim Jong-un pointed to the powerful psychological warfare-like bond that soldiers of the KPA Special Operation Forces had with their families. He noted that they wrote “letters to their hometowns and villages at breaks of the mine-clearing hours.” This gesture illustrated the commitment of the troops not only to their mission but to their loved ones waiting back home.
Kim Jong-un praised the soldiers for their resilience, stating, “All of you, both officers and soldiers, displayed mass heroism overcoming unimaginable mental and physical burdens almost every day.” His comments echoed a new understanding of the difficulties the regiment endured during their deployment in Russia.
In perhaps the most touching scene, Kim Jong-un saluted flag-draped coffins believed to hold the remains of the repatriated soldiers. He expressed deep sorrow while kneeling before a portrait of a fallen soldier, placing medals and flowers beside images of those who made the ultimate sacrifice. The North Korean dictator even crouched down to shake hands with a soldier in a wheeled chair. This was an extraordinary act of compassion and support for the families affected by this national tragedy.
Dinner with families of the fallen service members Kim Jong-un conveyed his understanding of their pain, stating he felt “the pain of waiting for 120 days in which he had never forgotten the beloved sons even for a moment.” This seeming fatalism only reinforced his purpose to dignify those who served and fell in the operation.
Earlier in September, Kim Jong-un had appeared alongside prominent global leaders, including Xi Jinping of China and Vladimir Putin of Russia, at a military parade in Beijing. His decision to send troops for mine clearance in Russia has prompted discussions about North Korea’s increasing military collaboration with its allies.