SEOUL, October 24 (AJP) - North Korea has begun building a war memorial in Pyongyang to honor soldiers who were dispatched to assist Russia's war in Ukraine and died there, state media reported Friday.
According to the KCNA, a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the memorial took place the previous day with its leader Kim Jong-un in attendance, along with Russian Ambassador to North Korea Aleksandr Matsegora and other embassy officials.
In his speech, Kim said, "Pyongyang will always be with Moscow. Our friendship and unity will last forever," hailing the memorial as a "symbol of the most righteous people and the strongest army."
"Just one year ago from today the last group of the combatants of our expeditionary forces left for Russia. They, strongly feeling the weight of their heavy mission, made a forceful march towards the battlefield in the alien land," he added.
This is the first time North Korea has built a museum commemorating troops deployed overseas, following a decision made in May.
North Korea is believed to have sent more than 10,000 soldiers to Russia in exchange for economic aid and military technology from Moscow.
At least 2,000 North Korean soldiers have been killed or wounded in Russia's Kursk region near the Ukrainian border, according to estimates by South Korea's spy agency in September.
* This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP.
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