Song of Allies: Russian Artist Shaman Honors Kim Jong-un with New Anthem

According to Russian media reports and video clips released late Wednesday, Russian pop star Shaman has unveiled a new song that honors North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. He performed it during a concert last week in Pyongyang.

Shaman was part of a group of Russian artists invited to entertain Kim at a celebration commemorating the 80th anniversary of North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party.

The state-run Korean Central News Agency noted that “Kim Jong-un took to the stage and expressed gratitude to the Russian performers for their excellent show,” alongside photos from the event.

An excerpt of the song, shared by a Russian pop culture Telegram channel, presents Kim as a wise leader and a national hero. In the lyrics, Shaman sings, “During the difficult war years, like soldiers of one regiment, the two nations — Korea and Russia — became timeless comrades in arms.” The full three-minute track later surfaced on the Telegram news outlet Kontekst.

Since the onset of the extensive invasion of Ukraine, North Korea has emerged as one of Russia’s nearest allies. According to Western intelligence officials, Pyongyang has provided Moscow with artillery shells and missiles, and last year dispatched troops to the southwestern Kursk region to assist in fending off Ukrainian forces.

Shaman’s first appearance in Pyongyang was in August, marking the 80th anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japanese rule. A similar iteration of his latest track was reportedly played during a rally in Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine.

Known for his patriotic songs like “Ya Russky” (“I’m Russian”) and “Moi Boy” (“My Fight”), Shaman, whose real name is Yaroslav Dronov, has become a representative figure of wartime nationalism in Russia.

In 2022, he was prohibited from entering Canada, the European Union, and Australia. Reports indicated that he canceled several concerts in Russia to participate in last week’s event at the Mansudae Art Theater in Pyongyang.