07:36
Kim Jong Un awards troops who fought for Russia

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has awarded North Korean troops who fought for Russia in the war against Ukraine in a ceremony, the state news agency KCNA reports.

Kim reportedly said in a speech to troops that the "liberation of Kursk" proved the "fighting spirit of the heroes".

During the ceremony, the North Korean leader laid a flower at a memorial wall for soldiers fallen overseas, and a concert was held for soldiers returned from Russia as well as a banquet that included bereaved family members, KCNA reports.

Approximately 600 North Korean troops have been killed fighting for Russia against Ukraine out of a total deployment of 15,000, South Korean lawmakers said in April, citing the country's intelligence agency.