Vietnam to Build Memorial for North Korean Vietnam War Martyrs

Vietnam announced plans to construct a memorial and refurbish a cemetery in Bac Ninh province for the 14 North Korean air‑force personnel killed in combat missions over Vietnam in 1967‑68. The project was discussed at a meeting in Hanoi chaired by Deputy Defence Minister Nguyen Truong Thang and attended by North Korean Ambassador Ri Sung Guk.

The cemetery, originally established for the fallen pilots who flew Soviet‑made MiG‑17s against U.S. aircraft, will be restored as part of the new memorial. Their remains were repatriated to North Korea in 2002. Vietnamese officials described the effort as a rare public acknowledgement of North Korea’s military contribution to Vietnam’s struggle for independence.