North Korean leader Kim Jong Un confirmed a policy that requires soldiers to commit suicide on the battlefield to avoid capture, while fighting Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Speaking at an event to inaugurate a memorial in Pyongyang for North Koreans who have died in Ukraine, Kim twice mentioned soldiers who had “self-blasted,” according to a report by the official Korean Central News Agency.
“Heroes who unhesitatingly opted for self-blasting, suicide attack, in order to defend the great honor” were praised by Kim in the speech given to bereaved families and top Russian officials. “They did not expect any compensation, though they performed distinguished feats,” he added. “They died a heroic death.”
Kim signed a military pact with Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2024 that included a mutual defense provision. South Korean and Western intelligence agencies have since estimated Pyongyang has sent at least 10,000 soldiers and tens of thousands of containers of weapons to help Russia fight Ukraine. The North is believed to have suffered heavy casualties, with thousands killed in action.
The disclosure by Kim this week follows reports that North Korean troops in Ukraine were required to kill themselves to avoid becoming a prisoner of war. Those accounts cited both Ukrainian intelligence and a captured North Korean soldier.
North Korea has also ramped up weapons tests this year, including of shorter-range ballistic missiles. That comes amid growing concerns over the country’s army gaining real combat experience from fighting alongside Russia.
Earlier this month, Pyongyang said it has tested multiple Hwasong-11 missiles – a short-range missile type also known as KN-23 or KN-24 – which Ukraine has said Pyongyang supplied to Moscow for use in its war against Kyiv.
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