North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un was visibly emotional during a ceremony commemorating soldiers who perished while fighting for Russia in Ukraine.
The dictator appeared to weep as he viewed battlefield footage during an operatic performance marking the first anniversary of Pyongyang's defence agreement with Moscow.
State media broadcast showed Kim with tears in his eyes, breathing rapidly and gulping as he watched the proceedings.
The 41-year-old was filmed kneeling beside a coffin wrapped in the North Korean flag, placing his hands on it in an apparent gesture of mourning.
North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un was visibly emotional during a ceremony commemorating soldiers who perished whilst fighting for Russia in Ukraine
REUTERS
The Sunday ceremony included his daughter Kim Ju-ae, who applauded performances featuring images of North Korean forces and military vehicles displaying the "Z" symbol associated with Russia's invasion.
Behind the orchestra, a massive screen displayed footage of Kim approving military operations in Russia's Kursk region on three specific dates: October 22, December 12, and December 22 last year.
Local media reported he had issued "offensive operations orders to special operations units," positioning him as directly responsible for their commands rather than Moscow.
The ceremony took place just days after Kim had opened a new coastal resort, where he observed a citizen sliding down a curved water slide.
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The dictator appeared to weep as he viewed battlefield footage during an operatic performance marking the first anniversary of Pyongyang's defence agreement with Moscow
REUTERS
Only six coffins were displayed during the commemorative event, despite significantly higher casualty figures.
North Korean forces were deployed to Kursk late last year to assist Moscow in repelling Ukrainian forces from their bridgehead in the region.
The British Ministry of Defence estimates approximately 6,000 North Korean troops have been killed or wounded in the Kursk region.
Analysts suggest Kim's public recognition of these losses might be aimed at addressing domestic discontent.
State media broadcast showed Kim with tears in his eyes
REUTERS
Despite initial heavy casualties when charging across exposed terrain towards Ukrainian positions, North Korean forces eventually demonstrated their capabilities.
Rob Lee, a senior research fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, noted on the Russia Contingency podcast: "It is an open question, if North Korea was not taking part, what the position of Kursk would be right now."
Ukrainian officials told Lee they "had a pretty high opinion of the North Korean soldiers. They thought they're very physically fit, very tough, pretty competent".
He added: "Tactically, they were employed, I think, poorly by the Russians. But at the squad level, they have pretty good tactics, good marksmanship, and they don't surrender."
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