North Korea releases emotional footage of Kim Jong-un mourning soldier who fell in Kursk

North Korea on June 30 released footage showing leader Kim Jong-un kneeling and choking back tears in front of a coffin carrying the body of a soldier who had been dispatched to Russia, draped in the North Korean flag.

State media also aired images of Kim approving military plans for the Russian city of Kursk, in what appears to be an effort to soothe public sentiment and justify Pyongyang’s planned troop deployments later this year.

According to Korea Central TV and the Rodong Sinmun, Kim attended a performance on June 29 to mark the first anniversary of the signing of a new treaty between North Korea and Russia — known as the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty.

The event took place during a visit by a Russian cultural delegation led by Russian Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova. Kim was accompanied by his daughter Ju-ae and other North Korean and Russian officials during the event.

The performance featured a large screen displaying images and video related to the North’s dispatch of troops to Russia. Among them were scenes of Kim visibly emotional in front of a coffin covered with the North Korean flag, including footage of him kneeling and placing both hands on the casket. The ceremony appeared to mimic the repatriation services seen in countries like the United States and South Korea.

Also present was Kim Yo-jong, vice department director of the ruling Workers’ Party, which appeared intended to portray that members of the ruling Kim dynasty were personally honoring soldiers killed in Ukraine. State television showed Kim watching the performance while standing, emphasizing the solemnity of the moment.

However, the video appeared to show only four or five coffins — a stark contrast to reports that over 4,700 North Korean troops have died on the Kursk front. The limited number of coffins has led to speculation that the event was largely performative, aimed at calming public frustration over mounting casualties.

North Korean state media also released, for the first time, footage of Kim Jong-un signing off on a “Liberation Operation Plan for Kursk” (translation), shown indirectly through the performance. According to the video, Kim approved the plan on three separate occasions: Oct. 22, Dec. 12 and Dec. 22 last year. Media reports also claimed that Kim had “issued offensive operation orders to special operations units.”

The footage underscored Kim’s hands-on involvement not only in deploying troops but also in commanding specific battlefield operations, particularly at Kursk. The intent appears to be to portray the operation as a victory and a turning point in the war in Russia’s favor. Domestically, the portrayal also serves to enhance Kim’s image as a military leader.

South Korea’s National Intelligence Service told the National Assembly’s Intelligence Committee on June 26 that North Korea may send additional troops in July or August, including engineering and construction units.

Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, visited North Korea twice this month and said on June 17 that Pyongyang had agreed to dispatch 1,000 combat engineers for mine removal and 5,000 military construction personnel for infrastructure work in the Kursk region.

BY LEE YU-JUNG, CHUNG YEONG-GYO [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]