North Koreas Kim Jong Un Honors Troops for Mine-Clearing Mission in Russia

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un stated in a speech, broadcasted by state media on Saturday, that earlier this year, troops were dispatched to the Kursk region of Russia to assist with mine clearance, marking a rare admission from Pyongyang regarding the dangerous tasks assigned to their soldiers.

According to intelligence reports from South Korea and Western nations, North Korea has sent thousands of troops to bolster Russia’s nearly four-year-long invasion of Ukraine.

Experts suggest that in exchange for this support, Russia is providing North Korea with financial assistance, military technology, food, and energy resources, which helps the diplomatically isolated nation navigate stringent international sanctions imposed on its nuclear and missile endeavors.

In his address during a welcome ceremony, Kim praised the returning engineering regiment, noting that they took the time to «write letters to their hometowns and villages during breaks from mine-clearing duties,» as reported by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Kim also revealed that nine members of the regiment lost their lives during the 120-day mission which commenced in August. He expressed his condolences at the ceremony by conferring state honors on the deceased to «add an eternal glow» to their courage.

«You, both officers and soldiers, displayed extraordinary heroism, overcoming unimaginable mental and physical challenges almost daily,» Kim proclaimed.

He celebrated the troops’ success in transforming a vast danger zone into a safe and secure area in less than three months, describing it as a «miracle.»

Photos released by KCNA depicted Kim joyfully embracing returning soldiers, some of whom were visibly injured and in wheelchairs, during the ceremony in Pyongyang on Friday. One soldier appeared particularly emotional while Kim comforted him by holding his head and hand as he sat in his military uniform.

Other images captured Kim consoling the families of the fallen soldiers and kneeling before a portrait of a deceased comrade to pay his respects, placing what seemed to be medals and flowers alongside the images of the deceased.

The North Korean leader also expressed the «pain of waiting for one hundred and twenty days,» during which he never forgot his beloved sons.

In September, Kim was seen with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at a grand military parade in Beijing. Kim, however, did not accept an invitation from Donald Trump to meet during the U.S. President’s trip to Asia in October.

North Korea only confirmed its deployment of troops to support Russia in April and acknowledged that some of its soldiers had died in combat.

In a previous August ceremony, KCNA released images of an emotional Kim embracing a returning soldier who seemed overwhelmed, burying his face in Kim’s chest. In early July, state media displayed visibly emotional footage of Kim paying tribute to flag-draped coffins, likely belonging to the deceased soldiers returning home.