Pyongyang’s ‘overseas heroes’ Kim Jong Un honors officers returned from Russia, fueling speculation that North Korea’s military intervention may be over

North Korea’s official state media reported on Friday that the country’s leader, Kim Jong Un, met in Pyongyang with senior officers who fought alongside Russian troops against Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region. According to an official Korean Central News Agency statement, awards were presented to “commanders and soldiers of the Korean People’s Army’s overseas operational units,” though the announcement didn’t specify where the men had fought.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Colonel General Kim Yong Bok and Major General Sin Kum Chol, both of whom attended Moscow’s Victory Day Parade on May 9 and met with Vladimir Putin in person, were among those who received decorations. In total, more than a dozen commanders attended the ceremony in Kim’s private office.

As noted by The Wall Street Journal, it is unclear whether these officers will return to Russia. Analysts who spoke to the newspaper pointed out that North Korean troops have so far taken part only in fighting on Russian territory, helping Russian forces drive Ukrainian troops from the Kursk region. This allowed Pyongyang and Moscow to emphasize that their cooperation was strictly under the terms of a mutual defense pact signed in the summer of 2024.

With all internationally recognized Russian territory once again under Moscow’s control, North Korean military involvement in combat on Ukrainian territory could create diplomatic complications, according to sources cited by The Wall Street Journal. The return of top military officers to Pyongyang may signal that North Korean forces will no longer be involved in the war.

Estimates from Western and South Korean intelligence suggest about 15,000 North Korean soldiers fought in the Kursk region, with roughly 1,665 men being killed in battle.