North Korea Claims 'Blood Debt' to Russia Through Kursk OperationsDuring a session of the Supreme People’s Assembly, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un stated that the involvement of DPRK troops in the Kursk operation triggered a wave of patriotism in the country. North Korea Repays Blood Debt to RussiaNorth Korea considers its participation in operations in the Kursk region against Ukrainian forces as a repayment of a “blood debt” to Russia, historian Konstantin Asmolov, a leading research fellow at the Center for Korean Studies, Institute of China and Contemporary Asia, Russian Academy of Sciences, said in an interview with lenta.ru publication. This marks the first time in a long period that North Korea has openly acknowledged that its troops fought abroad, the researcher said. “If there is anything we can help Russia with, we will certainly do so and consider it a brotherly duty.” — Kim Jong UnRussian Lawmakers Applaud Kim Jong UnOn September 16, deputies of the State Duma applauded Kim Jong Un during the first plenary session of the autumn session. Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin called on parliamentarians to express gratitude for North Korea’s participation in the liberation of the Kursk region.