Kim Jong Un praises troops who ‘self-blasted’ to avoid capture by Ukraine
Kim Jong Un praised North Korean soldiers who killed themselves by detonating grenades while fighting against Ukraine on Russia’s behalf, confirming a long-suspected battlefield policy.
In a speech this week, the North Korean leader said those who “chose to blow themselves up, to commit a suicide attack, without hesitation, in defense of great honor” were “heroes”.
South Korea estimates that at least 15,000 North Koreans were sent to help Russia retake parts of western Kursk, and more than 6,000 have been killed so far. Neither Pyongyang nor Moscow confirmed the figures.
Intelligence agencies and defectors said the soldiers had orders from Pyongyang to kill them rather than be taken prisoner by Ukraine.
“Their unconditional sacrifices, their unrequited sacrifices… This [is] “It is the definition of the height of our military’s loyalty,” Kim said in a speech in Pyongyang on Monday. A monument for martyred soldiers was openedState media KCNA reported.
Among those attending the event were Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov and the speaker of the Russian parliament Vyacheslav Volodin.
In North Korea, soldiers are taught that getting captured is treason.
Earlier this year, South Korean broadcaster MBC aired a program featuring two North Korean prisoners of war in Ukraine; One of them said on camera that he regretted not committing suicide.
“Everyone blew themselves up. I failed,” the prisoner said.
Seoul’s National Intelligence Service said last year it had found notes on dead North Korean soldiers indicating this excessive practice.
Kim also praised those killed in the conflict in his speech on Monday.
“Those who became the vanguard of the charges and suffered in frustration because they could not fulfill their duties as soldiers under orders, instead of suffering in their bodies being torn apart by bullets and cannonballs, they can also be called loyal warriors and patriots of the party,” Kim said. he said.
In June 2024, Russian President Putin and Kim signed an agreement pledging that their countries would help each other in the event of an “attack” on either country. At the time, Kim hailed the deal as the “strongest agreement ever.”
In addition to sending troops, North Korea has also promised to send thousands of workers to help rebuild Kursk.
