According to the KCNA report on the 24th, the North Korean Missile General Administration test-fired a new type of air defense missile on the 23rd, aiming to test the combat performance of the two new improved air defense missiles. Kim Jong-un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and state councilor, observed the test launch activities.

Photos of the missile test and Kim Jong-un's on-site observation.

According to the test test, the new anti-aircraft missile weapons system has superior rapid reaction combat capabilities for various air targets such as attack drones, cruise missiles, the operation and reaction method of the missile is original, and the basic technology is unique.

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Kim Jong-un personally welcomes the remains of North Korean officers and soldiers killed in Ukraine to return home

According to the KCNA report on August 21 and 22, recently, the "National Award Ceremony for the Recognition of the Officers and Combatants of the Overseas Combat Forces of the Korean People's Army" was held in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea. North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un attended the event and spoke. In addition, Kim Jong-un also met with the main commanders of the overseas combat troops of the People's Army who returned to Pyongyang and attended a congratulatory performance.

The North Korean Central Television and the Central Labour Party organs, Labor News, also intensely on related activities, including a news documentary broadcast by the Central Television of the DPRK on 22nd, showing a number of activities not mentioned by the DPRK news agency: Kim Jong Un personally went to the airport, welcomed the remains of the dead overseas combat officers to return home, and arranged a banquet for commanders, officers' representatives and the remains of some of the dead officers.

In addition, the relevant news documentaries also revealed for the first time the precise time of the DPRK army's "foreign operations", the specific situation of the front line officers' operations, and broadcast a large number of operational images.

Kim Jong-un hanged the title of "Hero of the Republic" medal for the remains of the deceased officers at the national award ceremony.

Kim Jong Un orders to'defend Kursk '

On August 6, 2024, Ukraine troops crossed the border between Sumia, Ukraine and Kursk Oblast, Russia, quickly occupied the Russian border city of Suja, and once controlled hundreds of settlements and thousands of square kilometers of Russian territory. After that, Russia and Ukraine launched the Battle of Kursk, which lasted about seven months.

In October 2024, the governments of Ukraine and South Korea claimed that there was intelligence showing that North Korean troops had appeared on the Kursk front line. On the 25th of that month, Kim Jong Kyu, Deputy Foreign Minister of the DPRK, made his first official response in response to a reporter's question from the Korean Central News Agency, saying, "If the kind of thing that the international press is saying now is true, I think it should be an act in line with the norms of international law".

In May 2025, after the Battle of Kursk basically ended, Russian and North Korean officials successively released news confirming that the North Korean and Russian armies had conducted "joint operations" in Kursk.

In a news clip broadcast by North Korea's Central Television on August 22, the DPRK disclosed for the first time that Kim Jong Un personally ordered the Korean People's Army to go to the Kursk region of Russia to participate in the war on August 28, 2024, three weeks after the Ukraine army "blitz" Kursk.

Kim Jong-un welcomed the remains of officers and men killed in overseas combat at the airport to return home. Screenshot of North Korea's CCTV report

Kim Jong-un's order said that "the violation of the sovereignty of Russia by the United States and the Western group is a violation of the sovereignty of our country" and called on the People's Army "to defeat the armed invaders of Ukraine with fearless courage and heroic fighting spirit and defend Kursk."

According to information already disclosed by Russian media and the DPRK news agency, the North Korean soldiers who then went to Kursk for battle came from the North Korean Special Forces. North Korean Special Forces Commander, People's Army General Kim Jong-il is the highest commander of the North Korean army on the frontline. Kim Jong-il was therefore welcomed by Russian President Putin. Today, he is also ranked first on the "National Awards Ceremony" held in Pyongyang, and was personally awarded the title of "Hero of the Republic" by Kim Jong-un.

In the video footage of the news documentary, Kim Jong-un went to the airport to meet the dead soldier's body back home and first listened to Kim Jong-un's report.

The news documentary also revealed that as the war changed, Kim Jong-un approved the battle plan three times in the name of the State Councilor on October 22, December 12 and December 22, 2024, and personally issued combat orders to the special operations forces. On the occasion of the New Year in 2025, Kim Jong-un also sent letters to the front-line officers and soldiers to express his greetings.

North Korean special operations forces in Kursk. Screenshot of North Korean Central Television report

Fallen officers and soldiers, the youngest was only 18 years old

What exactly did North Korea's special operations forces experience in Kursk? Previously, except for a small amount of first-hand information disclosed by Russia and Ukraine, it was difficult for the outside world to know the details. In the news documentary of North Korea's CCTV on August 22nd, the DPRK revealed many rare pictures. There are scenes from North Korean officers and men taking Russian Air Force transport planes to the front line, evacuating the wounded, mourning the fallen, and even the death of "heroes of the Republic".

Several North Korean soldiers in these images use light weapons, occasionally call for artillery support or use of equipment such as rocket artillery, and rarely see armored forces such as the ¡°Tanks Synergy¡± participating in the battle.

The Russian-Ukrainian conflict was viewed by military experts as ¡°the first large-scale drone war in history¡±. The same goes for the battles experienced by North Korean soldiers. News documentaries show that they continued to shoot down Ukrainian drones and use drones to attack Ukrainian military bases and armored vehicles. In the news documentary published ¡°Heroes of the Republic¡± killed officers, there is a record of North Korean commanders who did not leave the line after being hit by drones, persist in fighting, and eventually died.

North Korean special operations forces in Kursk. Screenshot of North Korean Central Television report

In reports related to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, injuring or killing enemy soldiers and then using drones to ambush enemy reinforcements coming to rescue is a common method of drone warfare. In the news documentary broadcast by North Korea on August 22, the deeds of many "heroes of the Republic" killed in battle were related to refusing help from comrades after being injured. Some of the wounded shouted to prevent comrades from approaching, and committed suicide with rifles and even grenades.

In his speech at the "National Award Ceremony", Kim Jong-un also mentioned that "some people did not hesitate to self-destruct and died without even leaving their bodies." He also mentioned that some "officers in their thirties and forties took the lead and blocked the enemy's machine gun mouths with their chests, breaking the common saying that only 18-year-old young people can block the enemy's machine gun mouths." Others "blocked the bullets flying towards their commanders."

"These facts have a great impact on me." Kim Jong Un said. The youngest of the officers and soldiers killed in battle disclosed in the news documentary was only 18 years old.

It is worth noting that the official report did not avoid the North Korean soldiers' thinking about their country in the ice and snow. Some images show North Korean soldiers hand-painting the national flag on a notebook, writing words such as "Dear Comrade Kim Jong-un, wish you peace" and "good home".

"Faced with the families of soldiers who died, I really don't know how to express my guilt for failing to protect the precious son and too young life you entrusted to us." Kim Jong Un said at the "National Award Ceremony."

In his speech, Kim also expressed his condolences to ¡°officials of the overseas operational forces who are also carrying out glorious combat missions away from the country¡¯s exotic countries at this time.¡± According to information previously disclosed by the Russian side, after the end of the Battle of Kursk, Kim decided to send 1,000 workers and 5,000 military building forces to participate in the demining and reconstruction of the Kursk recovery area.

¡°Remember that dear parents and wives and the motherland are waiting for them (the North Korean soldiers who are still abroad) to walk safely and safely,¡± Kim said.

Commemoration ¡°Just Started¡±

In May, with the end of the Kursk battle, the Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, Shoigu, visited North Korea twice in June ¡°according to Putin¡¯s instructions¡± and jointly with Kim Jong-un ¡°in memory of the North Korean soldiers who contributed to the liberation of the region¡±, and agreed to build a monument in Russia and North Korea, and a memorial in Pyongyang.

Information disclosed by official media shows that the relevant commemorative and award-awarding activities held by North Korea in recent days have higher specifications than before.

First, Kim personally headed to the airport and welcomed some of the dead soldiers' corpses back home. Video footage shows that 20 bodies were transported to Pyongyang by the Russian Air Force's IL-76 aircraft, covered with the flag of the Korean People's Army, and slowly descended the aircraft in the live music of the military band, lifting a coffin with six people.

Kim Jong-un's face was serious throughout the whole process, and he couldn't stop blinking, as if he was crying. The senior generals of his peers all took off their hats and bowed. After the coffin was settled, Kim Jong-un stepped forward and stroked the spirits one by one. After that, there were also wreaths and a moment of silence.

Since then, the "National Award Ceremony for Commending the Officers and Fighters of the Korean People's Army's Overseas Combat Units" was held in the headquarters building of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party. Senior officials such as member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party and Foreign Minister Cui Shanji attended the event. Before the ceremony, Kim Jong-un met with senior commanders who returned to Pyongyang from the front line alone.

The front-line officers and soldiers who attended the ceremony were greeted by applause from the cadres of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party at the entrance of the main compound of the Workers' Party Central Committee. Video footage also showed that the scenes of the North Korean special operations troops fighting in Kursk and the group photos of North Korean officers and soldiers in Russia had been made into large-scale pictures and hung on the walls of the corridor of the headquarters building of the Workers' Party Central Committee. When the survivors of fallen officers and soldiers walked into the building, many people saw these images, and many people burst into tears.

At the ceremony, after awarding medals to Jin Yongfu and other frontline commanders and officers and soldiers representatives, Kim Jong-un hung the title of "Hero of the Republic" on the portraits of the fallen officers and soldiers in turn. Afterwards, Kim Jong-un and senior officials of the Central Committee of the Workers 'Party laid flowers to the portraits of the fallen officers and soldiers. Other people present laid flowers forward in turn. The survivors also came on stage to touch and kiss the portraits. During this process, Kim Jong-un did not leave early, but waited under the stage to shake hands and hug the surviving family members one by one.

After the celebration performance held that night, Kim Jong-un did not leave with farewell applause as usual. Instead, he went to the seat of representatives of officers and soldiers on the front line, shook hands and hugged the young soldiers, and had an intimate conversation.

Some analysts have suggested that North Korea's rapid and high-profile commemoration of the end of the Battle of Kursk was intended to sum up the achievements of the "joint operation" while also making room for subsequent foreign policy adjustments. However, Kim Jong-un has made it clear that this round of recognition and commemorations is only "the beginning of everything." He also called this "national honor ceremony" the "first honor ceremony."

An analysis pointed out that the follow-up commemorative activities, or will be carried out after the relevant monuments and monuments are built; in this round of commemorative activities no Russian representatives are present, also predicts the "joint commemorative" activities drafted by the two sides, may be the agenda of the two sides, and may be related to high-standard visiting activities.

In his speech at the National Commendation Ceremony, Kim also emphasized the external security threats facing North Korea, noting in particular that "the heroism promoted by our military overseas operational forces officials has made many countries unable to envy and fear at the same time."