Kim Jong-un unveils housing for families of North Koreans killed in Ukraine war | North Korea
North Korea says it has completed a new housing development in Pyongyang for families of North Korean soldiers killed fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine, leader Kim Jong-un’s latest effort to honor the war dead.
Photos in state media show Kim walking along the new street, called Saeppyol Street, and visiting the homes of some families with his increasingly prominent daughter, believed to be called Kim Ju-ae, and promising to repay the “young martyrs” who “sacrificed everything for their homeland”.
The new site in the capital’s Hawasong district symbolizes the “spirit and sacrifice” of the fallen soldiers, Kim said, adding that the houses are intended to allow grieving families to “be proud of their sons and husbands and live happily.”
Kim said he tried to finish the project “even a day early” in the hope that it could bring “some relief” to the soldiers’ families.
In recent months, North Korea has intensified propaganda glorifying troops deployed to fight in Russia’s war against Ukraine, including the opening of a new memorial complex adorned with statues of soldiers in Pyongyang. Analysts see this as an effort to strengthen internal unity and reduce potential public discontent.
Kim has sent thousands of troops and large amounts of military equipment, including artillery and missiles, to fuel Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine in recent months as leaders align over separate confrontations with Washington.
Kim vowed last week to “unconditionally support” all of Putin’s policies and decisions.
According to South Korean, Ukrainian and western sources, under a mutual defense agreement with Russia, North Korea sent approximately 14,000 soldiers to fight alongside Russian troops in Ukraine in 2024; More than 6,000 of these soldiers were killed.
In a closed-door briefing last week, South Korea’s National Intelligence Agency believes North Korean forces benefited from the war by gaining modern warfare experience and Russian technical support that could improve the performance of its weapons systems.
The construction of the new street comes as North Korea prepares to open a major ruling party congress later this month; Here, Kim is expected to announce his main goals in domestic and foreign policy over the next five years and take further steps to tighten his control.
Hong Min, an analyst at the Korea National Unification Institute, said the timing of the street opening was “an extremely calculated political move to justify the deployment of troops” ahead of the party congress.
“It visualizes as a symbolic showcase that the state provides tangible compensation to the families of fallen soldiers,” he said.
With Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters
