North Korea held a homecoming ceremony for its engineering unit that had been dispatched to the Kursk region of Russia to carry out missions such as mine clearance. Chairman Kim Jong Un attended the event, commended their achievements, and paid tribute to the fallen soldiers.
On December 13, North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency reported, "The commanders and soldiers of the Korean People's Army engineering unit, who had been deployed to overseas operational areas, have returned home in triumph after successfully completing their assigned military missions." The agency added that a welcoming ceremony for the "528th Engineer Regiment" was held the previous day at Pyongyang 4·25 Cultural Hall Square.
In his speech, Chairman Kim praised the regiment, stating, "The regiment, which was organized on May 28, was dispatched in early August and achieved remarkable results in its engineering combat missions in Russia's Kursk region, liberated by the ultimate sacrifice of its comrades."
He further assessed their accomplishments by saying, "They achieved a miracle by turning a vast and dangerous area that would have taken years to conquer into a safe zone in less than three months." He added that "the dedicated efforts of the signal operators and military medical personnel also supported these achievements."
He continued, "The precious blood and sweat, and the costly sacrifices made by the (engineering unit) will never be in vain," and added, "Although there were nine unfortunate casualties, I would like to express my gratitude once again that all the commanders and soldiers of the engineer regiment have returned."
He also stated, "The noble ideological spirit of our soldiers cannot be matched by any other country's military," and added, "Even the most advanced armed forces of the West, equipped with cutting-edge weaponry, cannot dare to confront this revolutionary army, which possesses unfathomable spiritual depth."
North Korea's Korean Central News Agency reported on the 12th that a welcoming ceremony for the "528th Engineer Battalion" was held at the 4.25 Cultural Hall Square in Pyongyang. Photo by Yonhap News Agency
The welcoming ceremony was attended by participants of the Workers' Party plenary session held from December 9 to 11, as well as commanders from the Ministry of National Defense, major combined units of the People's Army, soldiers, Pyongyang citizens, and families of the dispatched unit.
Chairman Kim announced the awarding of the First Class Order of Freedom and Independence to the engineer regiment. He also bestowed the title of "Hero of the Republic," the First Class National Flag Medal, and the First Class Order of Military Honor on the nine fallen soldiers. He personally pinned medals on the portraits of the fallen displayed on the "Memorial Wall" in the central hall of the 4·25 Cultural Hall, laid flowers, and observed a moment of silence. The event also included a celebratory performance and a welcoming banquet for the returning unit.
Previously, starting in October of last year, North Korea had dispatched special forces to the Russian Kursk region, which was occupied by Ukrainian forces, to participate in recapture operations. During Russian National Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu's visit to North Korea in June of this year, it was decided to send an additional 1,000 engineering troops for mine clearance and 5,000 military construction personnel, equivalent to two brigades, for infrastructure reconstruction.
At the time, North Korea's decision to dispatch additional engineering troops was known only through Russian announcements. North Korea had remained silent on the matter, but with this homecoming ceremony, it has now publicly disclosed specific details about the deployment of engineering units, the duration of their mission, and the number of casualties.
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