Overview
- Kim Jong Un led an Oct. 23–24 groundbreaking in Pyongyang for the Memorial Museum of Combat Feats honoring North Korean units that fought alongside Russian forces in the Kursk region, with Russia’s ambassador in attendance.
- Kim vowed the relationship with Moscow “will advance non-stop,” hailing what he called a peak in ties forged in battle.
- Plans for the site include a cemetery, a memorial hall, a monument, and displays of photographs, artwork, and battlefield relics.
- Kyiv and Seoul estimate North Korea deployed more than 10,000 troops to Russia, while South Korea’s intelligence agency recently estimated about 2,000 North Korean soldiers have been killed; the figures remain contested.
- The public memorialization follows a comprehensive partnership that includes a mutual-defense clause, and South Korea’s Unification Ministry says the move seeks to maintain domestic support for the deployments.