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Kim Jong Un Praises North Korean Youth’s Role in Russia War, Despite Mass Troop Casualties
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![Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko]( "Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko")
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has met delegates attending a youth gathering in Pyongyang
The meeting followed the conclusion of the Eleventh Congress of the Socialist Patriotic Youth League, a five-yearly event designed to consolidate ideological loyalty among citizens aged approximately 14 to 30.
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According to Reuters on May 4, citing state-run Korean Central News Agency, Kim addressed delegates on May 3, describing youth as a driving force behind the implementation of state policy. He called for stricter discipline, improved organisation and stronger adherence to party ideology within the league, which he characterised as instrumental in executing decisions of the leadership.
In a message issued ahead of the congress, the ruling Workers' Party of Korea directly connected youth commitment to the country’s military involvement abroad. It praised young troops deployed overseas, saying they had demonstrated unwavering dedication in defending national interests.
Estimates from South Korean, Ukrainian and Western officials indicate that North Korea has dispatched around 14,000 personnel to assist Russian forces in the Kursk region, as reported by Reuters. More than 6,000 of those troops are believed to have been killed, according to those sources, though Pyongyang has not publicly acknowledged either the deployment or the reported casualties.
Meanwhile, Russia is interested only in the return of two North Korean nationals captured by Ukraine, while ignoring other foreign fighters held in Ukrainian custody, Ukrainian officials say.
According to Bohdan Okhrimenko, head of the Secretariat of Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, Ukrainian authorities often face difficulty convincing Russia to accept the return of its own citizens, a situation that also extends to foreign nationals who fought on Moscow’s side. He noted that Ukraine is currently holding a considerable number of such individuals, yet Moscow has shown no willingness to negotiate their exchange.
“In the course of negotiations, the Russian side demonstrates no interest in them. There has not been a single request from Russia regarding these individuals, aside from the North Koreans,” he said, adding that Moscow had repeatedly inquired specifically about the possibility of transferring the two North Korean detainees.
Okhrimenko stressed that the question of their legal status and any potential exchange remains complex and must comply with international humanitarian law. He noted that Ukraine is prepared to consider proposals provided they align with legal standards.
The issue comes amid broader scrutiny of Russia’s reliance on foreign fighters in its war against Ukraine. An international investigation published in April found that more than 5,000 foreign nationals recruited into Russia’s military have been killed in combat.
According to a report by Truth Hounds and the International Federation for Human Rights, released on April 29, Russia has enlisted at least 27,000 foreign citizens from over 130 countries since the start of its full-scale invasion in 2022.
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