Russian Opposition Communist Party Presents Its Own Lenin Prize
Kim Jong Un and Xinhua News Agency Among the Recipients
"Demonstrated Determination to Resist Neo-Fascism"
As the war in Ukraine has led to closer ties between North Korea and Russia, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation has awarded the Lenin Prize to Kim Jong Un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea. The Communist Party of the Russian Federation is a major opposition party in Russia and operates independently from the government.
North Korea's Korean Central News Agency reported that Kim Jongun, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, and Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, held a meeting on September 3 at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing during Kim's visit to China to attend the 80th anniversary Victory Day military parade. Yonhap News Agency
According to Yonhap News Agency on the 12th (local time), the Communist Party of the Russian Federation selected five recipients for the 2025 Lenin Prize of the Central Committee, including Kim Jong Un, China's Xinhua News Agency, and pro-Russian Moldovan politician Vladimir Voronin. The party explained its decision to honor Kim Jong Un by stating, "He has contributed to the theory and practice of building socialism, has actively fought to realize the ideals of a just multipolar world, has demonstrated determination in resisting imperialist aggression, hegemony, and neo-fascism on the international stage, and has continuously strengthened the friendship between Russia and North Korea."
The Lenin Prize was regarded as the highest honor in the former Soviet Union, awarded for outstanding achievements in fields such as science, technology, literature, art, and architecture. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the award was discontinued, but in 2017, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation established its own Lenin Prize and has continued to present it since then.
Recently, North Korea and Russia have been strengthening their military exchanges. The Korean Central News Agency reported on the 7th that representatives of the General Political Bureau of the Korean People's Army and a Russian delegation met to discuss cooperation between their military political organizations. Viktor Goremykin, Russian Deputy Minister of Defense and Head of the Main Military-Political Directorate of the Armed Forces, attended the meeting. This was the first time that an official holding the title of Head of the Main Military-Political Directorate has visited North Korea.
According to the National Intelligence Service, approximately 10,000 North Korean troops are currently stationed near the Russia-Ukraine border, performing security duties. An additional 1,000 engineers have been deployed for mine clearance operations. The National Intelligence Service stated at a National Assembly Intelligence Committee audit on the 4th that "training and mobilization trends in preparation for further deployments continue to be detected within North Korea, and we are closely monitoring the situation." Since last month, about 5,000 North Korean construction troops have reportedly been moving to Russia in phases. They are expected to be mobilized for infrastructure restoration work.
In June, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty" with Kim Jong Un in North Korea. This agreement includes a military intervention clause that obligates mutual support if either party is attacked.
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