North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un has reaffirmed Pyongyang’s support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine, pledging to assist Moscow in achieving victory in its “sacred war,” state media reported on Monday.
This declaration comes as a series of top Russian officials have visited Pyongyang in recent days, including Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, who met with Kim Jong Un on Sunday.
North Korea “will always fully support Russia’s policy to defend national sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security interests,” Kim Jong Un told Belousov, according to the North Korean state news agency KCNA.
The leader expressed his “conviction that the Russian army and people would undoubtedly win in this sacred and just war.”
The two parties discussed strengthening military ties, with Belousov stating that Moscow was prepared to sign a cooperation plan for the period 2027-2031.
Kim Jong Un, Andrei Belousov, and Russian Duma President Vyacheslav Volodin also attended the inauguration of a memorial honoring North Korean soldiers killed in Ukraine.
The ceremony featured a concert, fireworks, and an aerial parade, with representations of “bloody battles” that moved the audience.
North Korea has sent thousands of soldiers, missiles, and ammunition to support Russia in its war against Ukraine.
South Korea estimates that around 2,000 North Koreans have been killed in the conflict.
In exchange, experts believe North Korea receives financial aid, military technologies, food, and energy resources from Russia, allowing Pyongyang to bypass international sanctions on its prohibited nuclear programs.
In 2024, the two countries signed a military pact requiring each state to provide immediate military assistance in case of an attack.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung stated on Monday that it is “the destiny of both North and South to let the flowers of peace bloom.”
Lee committed to taking proactive steps to rebuild trust with Pyongyang and hopes the North will trust the sincerity of the South Korean government and respond accordingly.
