Vietnam will build a memorial and renovate a cemetery for North Korean servicemen killed during the Vietnam War, marking a rare public acknowledgment of Pyongyang's military role in the conflict. The project was discussed by Vietnamese Deputy Defence Minister Nguyen Truong Thang and North Korean Ambassador Ri Sung Guk.
The initiative highlights the enduring, though often understated, historical ties between Vietnam and North Korea and provides a rare public acknowledgment of North Korea's military role in the Vietnam War.
Vietnam is set to construct a memorial and renovate a cemetery dedicated to North Korean servicemen who died while fighting in the Vietnam War, according to state media reports. This initiative represents a rare public acknowledgment of Pyongyang's military involvement in the conflict.
North Korea dispatched fighter pilots to North Vietnam during the 1960s, with some flying MiG-17 jets in combat missions against U.S. aircraft. While Vietnam and North Korea maintain diplomatic ties dating back to the Cold War, the extent of Pyongyang's direct participation in the war has largely remained unknown.
The memorial project was a topic of discussion during a meeting in Hanoi attended by Vietnamese Deputy Defence Minister Nguyen Truong Thang and North Korean Ambassador Ri Sung Guk. Thang emphasized that Vietnam's Party, State, people, and People's Army consistently value and remember the assistance provided by North Korea and the sacrifices made by its martyrs during Vietnam's struggle for national independence.
The planned memorial will be integrated into the ongoing restoration efforts at the North Korean martyrs' cemetery located in the northern province of Bac Ninh. This cemetery was originally established to honor 14 North Korean air force personnel who perished in 1967 and 1968, with their remains later repatriated to North Korea in 2002.