North Korea’s state-run Rodong Sinmun on Wednesday reported that people from across society are paying their respects at the new memorial museum for overseas military operations, in an apparent continuation of the regime’s efforts to justify deploying troops to support Russia.
The newspaper described the museum as a place that “eternally conveys the heroic feats and noble spirit” of Korean People’s Army soldiers who took part in overseas military operations. It said officials, workers, military personnel, youth and students have been paying tribute at the monument to the fallen and the memorial wall. The report suggests that major party, government and military organizations, as well as workplaces, may have been instructed to organize visits to the museum.
North Korea held a completion ceremony for the facility on April 26 with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Vyacheslav Volodin, chair of Russia’s State Duma, and Defense Minister Andrei Belousov in attendance.
The remains of fallen soldiers are reportedly buried outside the museum. Inside, the facility displays combat materials documenting the main activities of the deployed troops, along with North Korean flags used by the soldiers, applications for party membership, and letters left for their families.
According to an earlier report by Japan’s Kyodo News, a monument at the museum contains the names of around 2,300 presumed fallen soldiers.
Rodong Sinmun said visitors viewed the exhibits and pledged to “deeply cherish the noble souls and wishes of the fallen fighters” while working to implement the decisions of the Workers’ Party’s Ninth Congress.
cheesuk@heraldcorp.com
