North Korean Soldiers Return From Russia’s War With Ukraine

New York Times - WorldCenter-LeftEN 3 min read 100% complete by Choe Sang-HunDecember 13, 2025 at 07:53 AM

AI Summary

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North Korean soldiers returned home this week after serving in Russia's war against Ukraine, marking North Korea's first public acknowledgement of its troop deployment. The soldiers, combat engineers from the 528th Regiment, were deployed to the Kursk region of Russia to conduct demining operations. Kim Jong-un held a welcoming ceremony in Pyongyang, praising their service and awarding the country's highest medal posthumously to nine soldiers killed in action. North Korea has supported Russia's war efforts by providing troops, artillery, and missiles, leading to a revived Cold War-era alliance between Moscow and Pyongyang. The Kremlin stated in July that North Korea agreed to send thousands of military personnel to aid in rebuilding Russia's war-torn regions.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Kursk region ×280% Kim Jong-un ×8100% Russia ×4100% Ukraine ×3100%

Keywords

north korean soldiers 90% russia ukraine war 90% kim jong-un 80% combat engineers 70% kursk region 60% military aid 60% state media 50% demining operation 50% military exploits 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Neutral

Score: 0.05

Source Transparency

Source

New York Times - World

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.30)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Russia

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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north korean soldiers russia ukraine war kim jong-un combat engineers kursk region military aid state media demining operation military exploits

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