North Korean state media reported that the country has begun building a memorial to honor soldiers who died fighting in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The move comes as leader Kim Jong Un hails relations with Russia at a "historic peak".
According to the North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the project called the "War Memorial Museum" will be built in the capital Pyongyang. Mr. Kim Jong Un and Russian Ambassador to North Korea Aleksandr Matsegora attended the groundbreaking ceremony on October 23. Speaking at the event, Mr. Kim called the museum a "sacred place dedicated to the immortality of true patriots".
Since Russia launched a military campaign in Ukraine in February 2022, North Korea has emerged as an important ally of Russia. Pyongyang is said to have sent thousands of soldiers and weapons containers to help Moscow fight.
At least 600 North Korean soldiers have been killed and thousands more injured in fighting, mostly in Russia's Kursk region, bordering Ukraine. North Korea's public construction of a memorial is seen as a rare recognition of its direct involvement and losses in the conflict.
In a speech published by KCNA, Mr. Kim Jong Un said that his country's army had been in Russia's Kursk region for a year and praised them for helping Russia achieve a "decisive victory".
Mr. Kim said that the memorial will have sculptures honoring the North Korean soldiers who fought in Russia, as well as photos and art works depicting the war.
The groundbreaking event was attended by Russian Ambassador Matsegora and other embassy officials, along with many North Korean government and military officials, as well as the families of the soldiers who sacrificed their lives.
Last year, Russia and North Korea signed a strategic partnership agreement, which stipulates that the two sides will provide "military and other assistance" if either of them is attacked. In Moscow, an art exhibition was also held to celebrate its relationship with Pyongyang.
