Kim paid public tribute to North Korean soldiers killed in Russia’s war against Ukraine, part of an effort to cement the two countries’ strategic defense pact.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has publicly honored his country's soldiers killed while fighting in Russia's war against Ukraine, in a rare acknowledgment by Pyongyang of its battlefield losses, the Guardian reported on July 1.

The emotional display coincided with a gala performance celebrating the anniversary of North Korea’s strategic partnership with Russia.