North Korea has launched a new residential area for the families of soldiers who lost their lives abroad.

Leader Kim Jong Un unveils housing for families of soldiers killed overseas amid North Korea’s support for Russia’s war in Ukraine.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has inaugurated a new residential area in Pyongyang dedicated to the families of soldiers who lost their lives in combat abroad, coinciding with the East Asian nation's backing of Russia's conflict in Ukraine.

According to the North Korean newspaper Rodong Sinmun, Kim described Saeppyol Street as "a source of honor for our generation and a pride of Pyongyang and our state," in a report released on Monday.

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"He prayed for the eternal remembrance of the martyrs, alongside the inauguration that will engrave their names and images into history," it stated.

Although the report did not reference Russia, Kim expressed his commitment last week to "unconditionally support" all policies and decisions made by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

As part of a mutual defense agreement with Moscow, Pyongyang sent thousands of troops to Ukraine in 2024, as reported by South Korean, Ukrainian, and Western officials.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, centre, and his daughter Kim Ju Ae, standing behind, react on the day of the completion ceremony of a new housing district in Pyongyang for families of soldiers who died in overseas military operations [KCNA via Reuters]

Kim said he had pushed to finish the project “even one day earlier” in the hope it might bring “some small comfort” to the soldiers’ families, state-run Korean Central News Agency reported.

Photographs released by KCNA showed Kim, accompanied by his daughter Ju Ae, consoling family members of the fallen soldiers and visiting their newly completed homes.

South Korea’s National Intelligence Service told legislators last week it estimated 6,000 North Korean soldiers have been killed or wounded during their deployment in the war against Ukraine, but did not provide a breakdown of deaths.

Kim Jong Un with attendees on the day of the inauguration of the housing district [KCNA via Reuters]

South Korea’s spy agency has also warned that North Korean forces are gaining modern combat experience and benefitting from Russian technical assistance that could enhance Pyongyang’s weapons systems.

In addition to deploying troops, Pyongyang is thought to have shipped artillery shells, missiles and long-range rocket systems to Moscow, while receiving cash, military know-how, and food and energy shipments from Russia in return.

North Korea has staged multiple public ceremonies in recent months to honour its war dead, including the unveiling of a ‌new memorial complex in Pyongyang adorned with soldiers’ sculptures.

The rollout comes in advance of Pyongyang’s biggest political event on the calendar – the party congress – later this month, although the exact date has not been announced.