Pyongyang: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has met with ground commanders of the North's troops deployed to the front-line Kursk region and "highly appreciated" their role in aiding Russia's war on Ukraine, the North's state media reported Thursday. The meeting with commanding officers of the Korean People's Army's overseas operation unit took place Wednesday, as they returned home to attend a commendation ceremony, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim received a briefing on the military activities of North Korean forces abroad and "highly appreciated their feats of leading the combat units of our armed forces, which participated in the operations to liberate the Kursk Region of the Russian Federation, to victory," according to the KCNA report. Kim said North Korea has assigned them to carry out the "most important duty" and conveyed "warm militant encouragement" to all commanders and combatants on the mission, the KCNA said. The news agency also quoted Kim as say ing: "Our army has fully demonstrated its unique qualities. Such a result has cemented its appellation and reputation as the most powerful army in the world. Our army is now doing what it ought to do and what needs to be done. It will do so in the future, too," he also said. KCNA photos showed high-ranking officials of the military's General Staff at the meeting, including vice chief Ri Chang-ho, who were reported to have been deployed to the Russia-Ukraine war in its early stages. The report said the first commendation awarding ceremony for service members who served in the overseas mission is scheduled to take place.