North Korea leader Kim promises 'beautiful life' for families of 'martyrs'

30/8/2025 12:28

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un promised "a beautiful life" for the families of "martyrs" who perished fighting for Russia in the war against Ukraine, state media said on Saturday, praising the bereaved for the heroism of their sons and husbands.



Kim on Friday hosted the families of soldiers and expressed "grief at having failed to save the precious lives" of the fallen men who sacrificed their lives to defend the country's honour, KCNA state news agency reported.



The heroic feats of the soldiers and officers were possible because of the strength and courage given to them by families who are "the most tenacious, patriotic and just people in the world," Kim told the parents, wives and children, KCNA said.



"They did not write even a short letter to me, but I think they must have entrusted their families, including those beloved children, to me," Kim was quoted as saying.



The country will "provide you with a beautiful life in the country defended at the cost of the lives of the martyrs," he said.



The meeting was the latest honouring of troops who suffered heavy casualties in Russia's Kursk region that borders Ukraine, after Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged the deployment in April after months of silence.