- Kim Jong Un praised soldiers for battlefield suicide, avoiding capture.
- North Korean troops reportedly instructed to commit suicide if captured.
- Memorial museum opened in Pyongyang honoring soldiers fighting for Russia.
Reports that North Korean soldiers are taking their own lives to avoid capture while fighting in Russia’s war against Ukraine have drawn renewed global attention after leader Kim Jong Un publicly praised the practice.
Kim on Sunday hailed troops who reportedly committed suicide on the battlefield rather than be captured by Ukrainian forces, describing their deaths as a “historic death in order to defend the great honour,” according to Bloomberg, citing North Korean state media.
Kim Praises ‘Self-Blasting’ Troops
Kim’s remarks have brought fresh focus to allegations that North Korean troops deployed in the conflict were instructed to avoid capture at all costs, including by ending their own lives.
Those claims had previously emerged through Ukrainian intelligence reports and testimony from a captured North Korean soldier.
“Heroes who unhesitatingly opted for self-blasting, suicide attack, in order to defend the great honour,” Kim said in a speech.
“They did not expect any compensation, though they performed distinguished feats,” he added. “They died a heroic death.”
Memorial Museum Opened In Pyongyang
To honour North Korean soldiers killed while supporting Russia’s war effort, Kim and Russian Defence Minister Andrey Belousov unveiled a memorial museum in Pyongyang.
The event included military jets flying overhead, white balloons being released into the sky, the unveiling of a statue, and the opening of the museum, BBC reported.
According to AP, Russian officials present included State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin and Defence Minister Andrey Belousov.
Ceremony Marks Kursk Operation Anniversary
KCNA said the museum’s inauguration marked the one-year anniversary of the end of an operation to liberate the Kursk region.
Kim reportedly laid flowers, took part in memorial rites and signed a guest book alongside Russian officials.
He said the fallen troops would remain “a symbol of the Korean people’s heroism” and continue to support “a victorious march by the Korean and Russian people.”
Deepening Russia-North Korea Military Ties
North Korea and Russia signed a military pact in 2024 that includes a mutual defence clause.
In 2025, the two countries said their troops had fought together to repel a Ukrainian incursion into Russia’s Kursk border region.
While official deployment figures have not been disclosed, South Korea’s intelligence agency estimated last year that around 15,000 North Korean soldiers had been sent, with approximately 2,000 reported killed, according to AP.
