Overview

• State media released images of Kim Jong-un kneeling before portraits of the dead and embracing a survivor during a ceremony in Pyongyang.
• KCNA said Kim awarded the title of “Hero of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea” to commanders credited with overseas operations.
• South Korean and Western intelligence estimate Pyongyang sent more than 10,000 troops to Russia’s Kursk region in 2024 along with artillery, missiles and long‑range rocket systems.
• Seoul assesses roughly 600 North Korean soldiers have been killed and thousands wounded while fighting for Russia.
• Reports describe the return of senior officers as a recall or redeployment, even as North Korea keeps supplying munitions and has pledged 6,000 workers for Russian reconstruction.