North Korean Leader Praised Soldiers Who Killed Themselves To Avoid Capture by Ukraine
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has praised soldiers who took their own lives by detonating grenades while fighting in Russia against Ukraine, according to a speech he delivered this week. In the speech, Kim referred to those who “unhesitatingly opted for self-blasting, suicide attack” as “heroes”. The practice, which involves North Korean soldiers killing themselves by detonating grenades or other explosives rather than being captured by Ukrainian forces, has been widely reported but not confirmed by Pyongyang or Moscow. Intelligence agencies and defectors have said that the soldiers were under orders to kill themselves rather than be taken prisoner.
The North Korean leader’s speech was held at a memorial event for fallen troops in Pyongyang, where Russian Defence Minister Andrey Belousov and speaker of Russia’s parliament Vyacheslav Volodin also attended. The event came after South Korea estimated that at least 15,000 North Koreans had been sent to help Russia recapture parts of western Kursk, with over 6,000 killed so far. In the past, South Korean broadcaster MBC aired a programme featuring two North Korean prisoners of war in Ukraine, one of whom expressed regret for not taking his own life.
In the speech, Kim also praised those who died in combat, saying they were “faithful warriors and patriots”. The practice of killing oneself to avoid capture has been taught to North Korean soldiers, with being captured considered an act of treason. Last year, Seoul’s National Intelligence Service found memos on deceased North Korean soldiers that pointed to this extreme practice.
North Korea and Russia have a deal pledging mutual support in the event of aggression against either country, signed by Russian President Putin and Kim Jong Un in June 2024. The treaty was hailed as “strongest ever” by Kim at the time. In addition to sending soldiers, North Korea has also promised to send thousands of workers to help rebuild Kursk.
The Ukrainian president’s office recently stated that North Korean troops were back on the front line. This comes amid ongoing tensions between Ukraine and Russia.
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