North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has reaffirmed Pyongyang's support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine, vowing to help Moscow achieve victory in its "sacred" war, state media reported on Monday.
Pyongyang has sent missiles, munitions and thousands of troops to assist Russia in Ukraine, and analysts say Moscow is sending financial aid, military technology, food and energy to the diplomatically isolated country in return.
A string of high-level Russian officials have visited North Korea in recent days, with Defense Minister Andrey Belousov meeting Kim on Sunday, according to official statements.
North Korea "will as ever fully support the policy of the Russian Federation to defend the national sovereignty, territorial integrity and security interests", Kim told Belousov, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
Kim expressed "belief that the Russian army and people would surely win a victory in the just sacred war", KCNA reported.
Both sides said their delegations had discussed deeper military ties, with Belousov saying Moscow was ready to sign a cooperation plan covering the period from 2027 to 2031.
Kim, Belousov and Russian parliamentary speaker Vyacheslav Volodin also attended the opening ceremony of a memorial complex honoring North Korean soldiers killed in Ukraine.
In a speech, Kim paid tribute to their "unrivalled bravery, mass heroism, indomitable fighting spirit and noble sacrifice", KCNA said.
He took part in a ceremony to bury the war dead, recalling their "last heroic moments" and covering the remains of a soldier with earth.
The inauguration also included a concert, a fireworks display and an air force flyover, KCNA reported.
The audience were moved by portrayals of "life-and-death bloody battles" and "death-defying hand-to-hand fights and heroic suicidal explosions the young soldiers chose without hesitation", it said.
North Korea and Russia signed a military treaty in 2024, obligating both states to provide military assistance "without delay" in the event of an attack on the other.
- 'Brilliant war results' -
The opening of the memorial coincides with the first anniversary of Moscow's recovery of parts of Kursk, a region in Russia where Ukraine launched a major counteroffensive starting in mid-2024.
North Korean soldiers were deployed in the area to help beat back the Ukrainian advance.
In his meeting with Belousov, Kim hailed the "brilliant war results in liberating Kursk", according to KCNA.
Russian President Vladimir Putin praised the "extraordinary bravery and genuine devotion" of North Korean troops in a letter to Kim that was published by KCNA.
Seoul estimates about 2,000 North Koreans have been killed in the Ukraine war.
North Korean troops are said to have been instructed to kill themselves rather than be captured in battle.
Only two North Korean soldiers have been taken alive and are currently in custody of Ukrainian authorities.
- Olive branch shunned -
In contrast with its ties with Russia, North Korea has called South Korea its "most hostile" adversary despite Seoul's efforts at engagement.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said on Monday that it was "the destiny of both the South and the North to make the flowers of peace bloom".
He vowed to act "proactively" to restore trust with Pyongyang, adding: "We hope the North will trust the sincerity of our government and respond in kind."
Lee's comments marked the anniversary of the 2018 inter-Korean summit, at which Kim and South Korea's then-president Moon Jae-in memorably crossed into the other country's territory.
The summit yielded a declaration to work towards an official end to the Korean War, but was later suspended as bilateral tensions rose again.
