North Korea completed a housing district in Pyongyang for families of soldiers killed fighting alongside Russian forces against the Ukrainian army, state media announced on Monday, in leader Kim Jong-un’s latest effort to honour troops deployed to the war.
Kim attended a completion ceremony for Saeppyol Street on Sunday accompanied by his daughter Kim Ju-ae, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency.
State media photographs showed Kim walking through the new district and visiting families’ homes.
Kim pledged to repay the “young martyrs” who “sacrificed all to their motherland”, KCNA reported.
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service told lawmakers last week it estimated 6,000 North Korean troops have been killed or wounded in the war, although the agency did not provide a breakdown of fatalities. The NIS said last year it believed roughly 600 had died.
The spy agency said North Korean forces are gaining modern combat experience and Russian technical support that could improve the performance of their weapons systems, according to lawmakers who attended last week’s closed-door briefing.
Pyongyang has intensified propaganda efforts glorifying troops deployed to Russia in recent months, establishing a memorial wall and building a museum dedicated to the war.
Analysts view the campaign as an attempt to bolster internal unity and pre-empt potential public discontent.
Kim has sent thousands of troops and large quantities of military equipment, including artillery and missiles, to support Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ongoing war in Ukraine, now nearing its four-year mark.
In turn, Moscow is suspected to have shared its military technology with Pyongyang, including a recently-unveiled nuclear submarine, set to be North Korea’s first.
Meanwhile, North Korea prepares to open a major ruling party congress later this month, where Kim is expected to announce his major domestic and foreign policy goals for the next five years and further consolidate his control.
Additional sources • AP
