Seoul, February 16 – North Korea has built new homes in Pyongyang for the families of North Korean soldiers who died during the Russia-Ukraine war, its state media said on Monday.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attended the opening ceremony of the new street, named Saeppyol Street, on Sunday, accompanied by his daughter Ju-ae and other officials.
In his speech at the ceremony, Kim said the new street "has been built thanks to the fervent desire of our motherland, which wishes that the precious lives of its excellent sons, who defended the most sacred things by sacrificing their most valuable things, will live forever."
Describing the street as "a source of honor for our generation and a source of pride for Pyongyang and our state," he said it is "for the families of the fallen soldiers and other combatants, as well as the combatants of the engineers regiment, who were dispatched to overseas military operations."
"The Party and the government will take all necessary steps to ensure that these families lead a proud and worthwhile life while enjoying the preferential treatment by the state and the loving care of the whole society," he added, according to KCNA.
After delivering the address and cutting the ribbon to mark the completion of the street, he visited the homes of some families to offer comfort, Yonhap news agency reported.
In August last year, Kim revealed plans to build the town, emphasizing commemorative services for its deployed soldiers, in an effort to legitimize North Korea's participation in Moscow's war against Ukraine and bolster domestic support.
The report did not reveal how many homes were built for the families.
Under a mutual defence pact with Russia, in 2024, North Korea sent about 14,000 soldiers to fight alongside Russian troops in Ukraine, where more than 6,000 of them were killed, according to South Korean, Ukrainian, and western sources.
