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Kim Jong-un, Russian officials attend inauguration ceremony for North memorial

Published: 27 Apr. 2026, 12:06 Updated: 27 Apr. 2026, 12:13

North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un attends the inauguration ceremony for the Memorial Museum of Combat Feats at the Overseas Military Operations in Pyongyang on April 26 in this photo carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency the following day. [YONHAP]

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attended the inauguration ceremony of the Memorial Museum of Combat Feats at the Overseas Military Operations in Pyongyang on Sunday, according to the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) the following day.

The memorial honors North Korean troops killed during overseas deployment.

The ceremony also marked the first anniversary of the end of Russia’s operation to retake Kursk from Ukraine. As a result, Russian State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin and Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, as well as other key aides to Russian President Vladimir Putin, attended the event showcasing the close alliance between the two countries.

In his speech, Kim defined the victory in Kursk as “a new history of justice written in blood,” adding that “the North Korea-Russia alliance must become a powerful stronghold to deter Western hegemony,” according to the KCNA on Monday.

Kim then praised soldiers who chose to commit suicide on the battlefield as heroes and emphasized that the sacrifices of the deployed troops made a decisive contribution to defending Russia’s sovereignty.

Putin also expressed deep gratitude for the achievements of North Korean troops and reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening the alliance through a letter read out loud by Volodin, according to KCNA.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un examine a launch pad of Soyuz rockets during their meeting at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the far eastern Amur region of Russia on Sept. 13, 2023. [AP/YONHAP]

Following the ceremony, Kim held a ritual to enshrine the remains of fallen soldiers. He then toured the memorial with Russian officials, viewing captured Western weapons on display, including German-made tanks.

The event is interpreted as a sign of the two countries’ intent to implement the military alliance-level treaty signed last year.

Meanwhile, North Korea and Russia plan to finalize a five-year military cooperation plan spanning from 2027 to 2031 within this year to elevate their recent military cooperation to a mid- to long-term level.

The possibility of Kim visiting Russia around May 9, Russia’s Victory Day, is also being raised, according to diplomatic sources.

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 KO SEUNG-PYO [[email protected]]