North Korean soldiers died by the thousands helping Putin push Ukraine out of Russia, and now they’re building monuments to honor their “heroes.”
At a Glance
- Putin publicly thanked Kim Jong Un for sending North Korean troops to fight in Kursk region
- North Korea confirmed deploying troops to Russia for the first time under a mutual defense treaty
- Approximately 4,000 North Korean soldiers have been killed or wounded in the conflict according to South Korea
- North Korea is sending soldiers in exchange for potential military technology transfers from Russia
- The alliance represents a troubling new axis of anti-Western powers circumventing international sanctions
America’s Adversaries Play War Games While Biden Fumbles
Just when you thought this administration’s foreign policy couldn’t get any more embarrassing, we now have North Korean troops fighting on Russian soil against American-backed Ukraine. Let that sink in. While Biden was busy sending billions in taxpayer dollars to Ukraine with virtually no oversight, Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin were signing defense pacts and swapping soldiers. This is what happens when America projects weakness instead of strength on the world stage – our enemies band together, creating alliances that directly threaten both our interests and global stability.
Putin didn’t mince words when thanking his new best friend for the military assistance in pushing Ukraine out of the Kursk region. According to official statements, the Russian president expressed how “sincerely grateful” he was to “Comrade Kim Jong Un” after North Korean troops helped drive Ukrainian forces out of Russian territory. Nothing says “we respect international norms” quite like two sanctioned dictatorships teaming up to exchange cannon fodder for missile technology while thumbing their noses at the West.
The Real Cost of North Korea’s “Heroism”
While Putin praises the “heroism” of North Korean troops, the reality is far grimmer. South Korean intelligence estimates around 4,000 North Korean soldiers have been killed or wounded fighting Russia’s battles. These aren’t professional volunteers – they’re expendable pawns in Kim’s geopolitical chess game. The North Korean regime is so proud of this “sacrifice” they’re building monuments to commemorate their fallen soldiers. Because nothing honors needlessly lost lives quite like a stone statue erected by the dictatorship that sent them to die in a foreign war.
“The Russian people will never forget the heroism of the DPRK special forces. We will always honor the heroes who gave their lives for Russia, for our common freedom, fighting side by side with their Russian brothers in arms.” – Putin
North Korean state media is unsurprisingly spinning this human tragedy as a great victory. According to their propaganda, North Korean forces “demonstrated their fighting spirit and military capability” while “annihilating and wiping out the Ukrainian neo-Nazi occupiers.” The neo-Nazi narrative is straight from Putin’s playbook – a tired, false justification for aggression against a democratic Ukraine. But when you’re an isolated dictatorship desperate for allies and military technology, you’ll parrot whatever lines your new partner wants to hear.
A Dangerous New Alliance Forms Under Biden’s Watch
The implications of this Russia-North Korea alliance extend far beyond the battlefield in Kursk. This partnership, formalized in a June 2024 mutual defense treaty, creates a troubling new axis of anti-Western powers. North Korea gets military technologies and security guarantees to continue its nuclear program, while Russia gets fresh troops and conventional weapons to sustain its war effort. All while the Biden administration sends strongly worded letters and continues funding a war with no clear endgame or victory conditions. This is what happens when America leads from behind.
“The operation to liberate Kursk by repelling the adventurous invasion of Russia by Ukraine was successfully concluded. The sub-units of our armed forces that participated in the operation to liberate Kursk under the order of the DPRK leader, demonstrated their fighting spirit and military capability. (The units) made an important contribution in annihilating and wiping out the Ukrainian neo-Nazi occupiers by displaying mass heroism, unmatched bravery and self-sacrifice” – newscaster for KRT
The mutual defense pact between Russia and North Korea includes provisions for joint military actions when either country feels threatened – effectively creating a mini anti-West alliance. South Korea’s Unification Ministry called North Korea’s troop deployment “an act against humanity,” but such statements fall on deaf ears when there’s no credible deterrence behind them. With Trump expressing skepticism about peace prospects and Biden’s team fumbling diplomatic efforts, we’re witnessing the continued decline of American influence while our adversaries grow bolder by the day.
