North Korean leader salutes ‘overseas’ troops
This picture taken on February 25, 2026 and released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on February 26, 2026 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (R) and his daughter Kim Ju Ae attending the military parade to commemorate the 9th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea at Kim Il-sung Square in Pyongyang. (AFP Photo/KCNA via KNS )
Leader Kim Jong Un praised troops in “overseas military operations” during a speech marking North Korea’s founding anniversary, state media reported on Sept. 10, an apparent nod to Pyongyang’s assistance in Moscow’s war against Ukraine.
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, North Korea has become a key ally of the Kremlin, sending troops to support Moscow’s war effort in return for economic benefits and military technology, analysts say.
During comments marking North Korea’s Sept. 9, 1948 founding, Kim hailed overseas compatriots but paid special tribute to troops deployed abroad, the official Korean Central News Agency reported on Sept. 10.
