What Is Behind North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un’s Tears?
Kim Jong Un Appears Tearful on Camera
In a rare moment, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was seen shedding tears during an official ceremony held in Pyongyang. The event was dedicated to displaying images of North Korean soldiers who died while fighting alongside Russian forces in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The ceremony marked the recently announced “Day of Remembrance for International Heroes,” established in North Korea to honor soldiers who lost their lives in overseas battles, reportedly in defense of “dignity and sovereignty against Western domination.”
The ceremony was attended by senior officials from both North Korea and Russia, including Russian Minister of Culture Olga Lyubimova. In her remarks, she praised the bravery of the North Korean soldiers and their role in what she described as “countering neo-Nazism.” Lyubimova emphasized that cultural and military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang is now stronger than ever, noting that shared sacrifice on the battlefield has “forged bonds of blood between the two peoples.”
The event featured video footage and documentary clips showing North Korean soldiers fighting alongside Russian units on various fronts, accompanied by somber music and official military protocol. A memorial bearing the names of the deceased was unveiled, and candles were lit in a symbolic gesture of remembrance.
Footage also showed Kim Jong Un kneeling in front of coffins draped with the North Korean flag, a moment widely circulated in domestic media coverage.
