Kim Jong Un calls North Korea's participation in Russia's war against Ukraine justified
Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (Photo: Getty Images)
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un stated that North Korea's involvement in the Russia-Ukraine war was justified. He referred to it as the exercise of sovereign rights to defend the fraternal nation, according to Reuters.
"Our participation in the conflict was just, and it falls within the sovereign rights of our Republic. I consider all the brave soldiers who participated in the Kursk operation to be heroes and the highest representatives of the nation’s honour," Kim Jong Un was quoted as saying by the state news agency KCNA.
He also stated that Pyongyang would not hesitate to use military force if the US continues to carry out military provocations against Russia.
North Korea's participation in the war against Ukraine
At the end of April 2025, North Korea officially confirmed for the first time that it had sent its troops to support Moscow in the war against Ukraine, specifically in the Kursk region.
According to media reports, the deployment of North Korean troops was carried out under the orders of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, under the mutual defense pact between Pyongyang and Moscow.
Recently, The Wall Street Journal reported that North Korea is sending not only soldiers but also cheap labor to Russia. The edition stated that North Korea had sent approximately 15,000 labor migrants to Russia due to a shortage of workers caused by declining birth rates and the mobilization of people to fight in the war against Ukraine.
