In North Korea, Kim Jong Un thanked military personnel for operations abroad
In North Korea, the country’s leader Kim Jong Un, during a speech marking the 78th anniversary of the state’s founding, thanked commanders and military personnel taking part in “military operations abroad.” As Asharq Al-Awsat reports, the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported this on Thursday.
Speech marking the DPRK’s founding anniversary
Kim Jong Un’s speech was dedicated to the anniversary of the founding of the DPRK on September 9, 1948. He separately expressed special gratitude and deep respect to commanders and soldiers involved in operations abroad.
Kim Jong Un also stated that state ideals are being rapidly realized thanks to patriotism, voluntary service and the contributions of citizens seeking the country’s prosperity.
Connection to Russia’s war against Ukraine
The publication notes that the North Korean leader’s words may be connected to the DPRK’s support for the war of the aggressor state Russia against Ukraine. After Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Pyongyang became one of the Kremlin’s key allies.
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According to analysts cited by Asharq Al-Awsat, the DPRK is sending military personnel to support Russia’s war effort in exchange for economic benefits and military technology. According to South Korea, about 2,000 North Korean military personnel have been killed in Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Statements by Kyiv
In August, Ukraine stated that Moscow used North Korean ballistic missiles in a strike that killed at least nine people and injured dozens. Kyiv also reported the possible deployment of up to 50,000 DPRK military personnel to Russia, but provided no evidence or timeline for such a deployment.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, while reporting this, called on Seoul to provide air defense systems to protect against Russian missiles. According to the source, South Korea did not respond to this request.
