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North's Kim visits war memorial construction site amid Lee-Xi summit

Published: 06 Jan. 2026, 17:25 Updated: 06 Jan. 2026, 18:24

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un drives a forklift during a visit to the construction site of a war memorial in Pyongyang on Jan. 5. Kim was accompanied by his daughter, Ju-ae, who is standing on the forklift facing left. [RODONG SINMUN]

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited the construction site of a war memorial in Pyongyang on Monday, accompanied by his daughter, Kim Ju-ae, to honor North Korean troops killed while deployed in the Russia-Ukraine war, according to state media on Tuesday.

The visit, which coincided with a summit between South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Chinese President Xi Jinping, is being interpreted as a show of solidarity with Russia and a strategic signal to China amid shifting regional dynamics.

Kim, with his daughter and wife Ri Sol-ju in tow, inspected the construction site of the Memorial Museum of Combat Feats at Overseas Military Operations, alongside senior party and government officials, according to the Rodong Sinmun.

Photos released with the article showed Ri and Kim Ju-ae, though they were not named in the report.

Calling the project a “grand monument to the times symbolic of heroism and bravery of the Korean people's excellent sons,” Kim said it represented “the crystallization of our party and people's eternal gratitude and respects for the representatives of the great fame of the country.”

The construction site of the Memorial Museum of Combat Feats at Overseas Military Operations, a war memorial being built in the Hwaseong District of Pyongyang, is seen on Jan. 5. [RODONG SINMUN]

“Through the construction, another important ideological and spiritual base for education in the tradition of victory will be provided in the capital city of our state and, along with the establishment of the museum, our people will powerfully demonstrate before the world the immortality of the DPRK,” said Kim, referring to North Korea by the initialism of its official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

While the memorial serves the domestic purpose of bolstering unity and loyalty, analysts say the visit’s timing suggests a political calculation. On the same day, Lee held a 90-minute summit and banquet with Xi in Beijing, seeking to fully restore bilateral ties between South Korea and China.

As China, North Korea and Russia continue to tighten their anti-U.S. alignment, Kim’s visit to the memorial construction site may reflect concerns that the Pyongyang-Beijing relationship — considered the weakest link in the trilateral partnership — could be affected by improved South Korea-China ties.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, left, and his daughter, Ju-ae, dig at the construction site of a war memorial in Pyongyang on Jan. 5. [RODONG SINMUN]

North Korea’s relations with Russia have strengthened significantly, especially after Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin stood beside Xi atop Tiananmen Gate during a military parade in Beijing last September, signaling a firm anti-Western front.

However, Kim has learned from experience that ties with China can quickly shift to a “disciplining” phase depending on Beijing’s strategic interests. His actions suggest a form of hedging.

Observers have noted that North Korea’s launch of the Hwasong-11ma hypersonic missile on Sunday may have served a dual purpose — both a show of force amid tensions in Venezuela and a move to counter the South Korea-China summit.

Analysts point out that while North Korea’s alliance with China is a legacy inherited from previous leaders, its growing partnership with Russia is an achievement Kim can claim as his own.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, second from left, his daugher, Ju-ae, left, and his wife, Ri Sol-ju, second from right, visit to the construction site of a war memorial in Pyongyang on Jan. 5. [RODONG SINMUN]

Bringing Kim Ju-ae, often framed as a “symbol of the next generation,” to the memorial site may also indicate an attempt to present the North Korea-Russia alliance as a political legacy to be passed on to future generations.

“The noble sacrifice and heroic feats of the participants in the worthiest sacred war for justice and dignity would serve as the solid root and eternal cornerstone supporting the mightiness of the motherly DPRK,” Kim said during a tree-planting ceremony with soldiers during the visit.

In August of last year, the North's leader awarded state honors to the soldiers deployed abroad and announced plans to build a residential area for bereaved families in Daesong District, Pyongyang. He later broke ground on the war memorial on Oct. 23, 2025.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, center in black, and his daughter, Ju-ae, center with a red scarf, take a commemorative photo with soldiers during a visit to the construction site of a war memorial in Pyongyang on Jan. 5. [RODONG SINMUN]

The memorial is being built in the Hwasong District, known as Pyongyang’s “new town,” and will include a cemetery for fallen soldiers, the memorial hall and a commemorative monument.

“Ahead of the Ninth Party Congress, this appears to be aimed at reinforcing absolute loyalty to the leader,” said Oh Kyung-seob, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification. “Kim Ju-ae’s presence likely served to highlight Kim Jong-un’s role as a paternal figure guiding the future of the next generation.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY CHUNG YEONG-GYO [[email protected]]