North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has publicly praised his soldiers who detonated grenades to kill themselves rather than be captured by Ukrainian forces, confirming Pyongyang's extreme battlefield policy. In a speech this week, Kim described those who "unhesitatingly opted for self-blasting, suicide attack" to defend national honor as "heroes."
South Korean intelligence estimates that at least 15,000 North Korean troops have been deployed to help Russia recapture territory in western Kursk, with over 6,000 killed so far. Neither Pyongyang nor Moscow has confirmed these figures.
Defectors and intelligence agencies have long reported that North Korean soldiers are under orders to commit suicide if capture becomes imminent. In a speech Monday, Kim unveiled a memorial for fallen troops, with Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov and parliament speaker Vyacheslav Volodin in attendance.
"Their self-sacrifice expecting no compensation, and the devotion expecting no reward... This is the definition of the height of loyalty of our army," Kim said, according to state media KCNA.
Earlier this year, a South Korean broadcaster aired footage of two North Korean prisoners of war in Ukraine. One prisoner expressed regret for not taking his own life, stating, "Everyone else blew themselves up. I failed."
Seoul's National Intelligence Service reported finding memos on deceased North Korean soldiers that indicate this practice is systematic. Kim also praised those who died in combat, calling them "the party's faithful warriors and patriots."
In June 2024, Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a mutual defense pact, pledging assistance in case of "aggression" against either nation. North Korea has also promised to send thousands of workers to help rebuild Kursk.