North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has publicly confirmed a chilling policy mandating soldiers to commit suicide on the battlefield to avoid capture while fighting in Russia’s war against Ukraine. During a memorial event in Pyongyang for fallen North Korean troops, Kim lauded soldiers who “unhesitatingly opted for self-blasting” and died a “heroic death” to defend national honor.
In his speech to bereaved families and senior Russian officials, Kim emphasized the soldiers’ lack of expectation for compensation despite their “distinguished feats.” He twice referenced acts of “self-blasting” and “suicide attack,” as reported by the state-run Korean Central News Agency. This disclosure aligns with prior accounts from Ukrainian intelligence and a captured North Korean soldier, both indicating that troops were instructed to kill themselves rather than become prisoners of war.
North Korea’s military involvement in Ukraine has deepened since Kim signed a mutual defense pact with Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2024. South Korean and Western intelligence estimate that Pyongyang has deployed at least 10,000 soldiers and supplied tens of thousands of containers of weapons to Moscow, suffering thousands of casualties in the process. The conflict has provided North Korea’s army with real combat experience, raising alarms about the potential for further escalation.
Beyond troop deployments, North Korea has intensified its weapons development and testing this year. The regime recently conducted tests of multiple Hwasong-11 short-range ballistic missiles, also known as KN-23 or KN-24, which Ukraine claims have been provided to Russia for use in the ongoing war. Additionally, Pyongyang test-fired a new sea-to-surface weapons system, signaling an aggressive push to bolster its military capabilities.
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