SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea said Monday it completed a new housing district in Pyongyang for families of North Korean soldiers killed while fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine, the latest effort by leader Kim Jong Un to honor the war dead. Analysts see it as an effort to bolster internal unity and curb potential public discontent. South Korea’s National Intelligence Service told lawmakers last week it estimated 6,000 North Korean troops have been killed or wounded during their deployment in the war, but did not provide a breakdown of fatalities. The agency said last year it believed roughly 600 had died. The spy agency believes North Korean forces are gaining modern combat experience and Russian technical support that could improve the performance of their weapons systems, according to lawmakers who attended last week’s closed-door briefing.

Source: The North Africa Journal February 16, 2026 00:06 UTC