North Korea glorifies soldier suicides as Kim cult dominates war celebrations
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North Korea has confirmed a policy of requiring soldiers to commit suicide on the battlefield to avoid capture while fighting in Russia’s war against Ukraine, according to The revelation came in a two-hour program on ceremonies and concerts held Thursday in Pyongyang aimed at commemorating dead soldiers and boosting obedience to leader Kim Jong Un’s orders.
North Korea has confirmed a policy of requiring soldiers to commit suicide on the battlefield to avoid capture while fighting in Russia’s war against Ukraine, according to NK News analysis of state media Friday.
The revelation came in a two-hour program on ceremonies and concerts held Thursday in Pyongyang aimed at commemorating dead soldiers and boosting obedience to leader Kim Jong Un’s orders.
The program prioritized celebrating North Korea and Russia’s “victory” over Ukraine in a positive light while keeping the focus on Kim’s leadership and role planning and executing the war, even confirming for the first time that soldiers were required to celebrate the leader’s Jan. 8 birthday.
GLORIFYING SUICIDE
Echoing Japan’s celebration of Kamikaze pilots in World War II, North Korea on Friday offered propaganda statements, including glorification of suicide, describing how some DPRK soldiers died fighting Ukraine in Russia’s Kursk territory.
This confirms previous reports by Ukraine intelligence last year, including testimony from a captured North Korean soldier, that troops were required to kill themselves to prevent falling into enemy hands.
The celebration of suicide betrays the regime’s sensitivity about captured soldiers revealing information to enemies, as well as concerns about potential embarrassment if such prisoners of war choose to defect after capture.
It also aligns with North Korean media’s practice of holding up citizens who die on the job or during military service as models of self-sacrifice for the state.
Thursday’s concert featured gruesome accounts of soldier deaths, which were shown in large text for a crowd of thousands of crying families and military personnel, according to state TV footage.
For example, 32-year-old Kim Hak Chol “heroically died by shooting himself in the head with an automatic rifle” after being attacked by an enemy drone. He “shouted to combatants coming to rescue him ‘Please carry out the company’s combat mission’” before taking his own life.
18-year-old Pak Chung Guk “shouted ‘don’t come nearer!’ and courageously self-detonated with a grenade when comrades came to rescue him after his arms and legs were wounded from enemy fire.”
Platoon Leader Jo Chol Won and 11 other soldiers “all shouted ‘Long live the great fatherland!’ and self-detonated after suffering severe wounds all over their bodies and running out of ammunition.”
20-year-old Yun Jong Hyok and 19-year-old U Wi Hyok “embraced each other and courageously self-detonated with grenades after they were severely wounded and surrounded by enemies while retrieving the bodies of fallen comrades.”
One soldier “crawled around trenches treating wounded for 6 hours with one of his legs severed by enemy artillery,” another “blocked enemy machine gun bullets with his own body to save his comrades,” and yet another “self-detonated by holding another grenade to his head with his right hand.”
KIM CULT DOMINATES
State media coverage of Thursday’s commendation event and concert, as well as an earlier repatriation ceremony, named fallen soldiers and dedicated significant airtime to celebrating their sacrifices. But the coverage as a whole was primarily focused on the man who sent the troops to their deaths: Kim Jong Un.
Photos printed in the Rodong Sinmun mostly centered on Kim, while the report featured numerous lines describing the DPRK leader as the war’s sole strategist and the only person in the country with the authority to decide the fate of North Korean citizens.
State TV footage sought to depict Kim as a fatherly figure for the children of slain soldiers, showing him hugging and kissing them at length. The footage echoes mainstream propaganda slogans and songs calling him the nation’s “father.”
Soldiers on the battlefield appeared signing oaths of loyalty to Kim and holding his portrait with a red cloth while on the battlefield to prevent damaging or smudging what they treated as a holy object.
They celebrated Kim Jong Un’s birthday on Jan. 8 this year as well, a date that is still not promoted in state media or considered an official public holiday, like those of former leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il. Troops appeared hanging a banner saying “Respectfully wish for the good health of the Respected Supreme Commander” (경애하는 최고사령관동지의 안녕을 삼가 축원합니다).
Also included in the video shown to concert attendees were declarations written by soldiers on the battlefield, such as “I really want to meet you Respected Supreme Commander! Long live Comrade Kim Jong Un!”
Content retrieved from: https://www.nknews.org/2025/08/north-korea-glorifies-soldier-suicides-as-kim-cult-dominates-war-celebrations/.