Kim praises North Korean 'heroes' in Ukraine war

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un praised soldiers who died by suicide to avoid capture while fighting Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk region, state media KCNA reported. The remarks were reported on Monday, April 29, and were delivered during a ceremony linked to a memorial for North Korean soldiers.

According to KCNA, Kim described the soldiers as “heroes” who chose “self-destruction and suicide to defend great honor.” The report said Kim addressed Russian officials and bereaved families at the event, and it framed his comments as recognition of actions taken on the battlefield.

KCNA report details Kim’s first public acknowledgment

The KCNA account said Kim, for the first time, acknowledged that some North Korean soldiers had taken their own lives to evade capture. The report presented this as a deliberate choice made during combat in the Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces were described as the opposing side.

Kim also praised surviving soldiers, calling them patriots. KCNA said he recognized those who felt frustration about failing their duty, even while enduring physical pain, and described them as loyal warriors.

Troop deployment and casualty estimates cited by officials

The KCNA report comes amid wider reporting and official estimates about North Korea’s role in the fighting. North Korea reportedly deployed approximately 14,000 troops to support Russian forces in the Kursk region.

South Korean, Ukrainian, and Western officials have estimated that more than 6,000 North Korean soldiers have been killed in the fighting. The source material did not provide an independent breakdown of those figures or specify the time period covered by the estimates.

Prior intelligence and defector accounts referenced

Intelligence reports and defector testimonies have previously pointed to cases in which North Korean soldiers used self-detonation or other forms of suicide to avoid capture, according to the source material. KCNA’s report of Kim’s remarks aligns with those earlier accounts by explicitly praising such actions.

The commendation was described as confirming an extreme battle policy, as presented in the source material, at a time when reports have highlighted significant North Korean casualties. The source material did not include any response from Russian, Ukrainian, South Korean, or Western governments to Kim’s comments.

KCNA’s description of the ceremony emphasized both commemoration and messaging, with Kim’s statements directed to Russian officials and families of the dead. It remains unclear from the source material whether further details about the memorial, the units involved, or the circumstances of the deaths will be released.