Kim Jong-un. Photo: STR / AFP
North Korea’s leader justifies participation of his military in Russia’s war against Ukraine, calling it “defence of the brotherly people”
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has publicly acknowledged for the first time the participation of the DPRK armed forces in Russia’s war against Ukraine, saying it was a “justified act of defence of the fraternal people”. This was reported by Reuters with reference to the state news agency KCNA.
“Our participation in the conflict was just and falls within the sovereign rights of our republic. I consider all the brave soldiers who took part in the Kursk operation to be heroes and the highest representatives of the nation’s honour,” Kim Jong-un said, effectively confirming the DPRK’s combat presence in Russia.
He also threatened that Pyongyang “will not hesitate to authorise the use of military force” if the US continues its “military provocations” against Russia.
Kim’s statement confirms the suspicions expressed by analysts and intelligence agencies in Western countries about deeper military cooperation between the DPRK and Russian regimes. This is the first official acknowledgement of the North Korean military’s participation in a specific military operation, the so-called Kursk offensive.
