North Korea’s dictator, Kim Jong Un, has commended soldiers who took their lives in order to avoid being held captive in Ukraine, in what could well be an indication of the official approval for Pyongyang’s death before captivity doctrine that has been rumored for some time.
Kim was addressing the unveiling ceremony of the commemoration complex on the fringes of Pyongyang on April 26, where he paid tributes to soldiers who, committed suicide in order to demonstrate their loyalty.
These statements referred to soldiers who exploded grenades and other explosive materials in order to kill themselves and thus avoid falling into the hands of the enemy during battles in Kursk of Russia.
The event, marking the anniversary of the one year long Kursk liberation by Pyongyang, witnessed Kim covering a box containing the recovered remains with earth as the honor guard saluted him with their rifles.
The extensive complex serves as both a cemetery and museum, complete with bronze sculptures, black marble walls bearing names of the fallen, items of personal belongings as well as captured weaponry including tanks.
An analysis of imagery from the memorial showed the complex has some 280 graves, while about 2,000 names are engraved on its walls and more than 1,700 compartments for cremated remains.
Long walls and vacant plots also mark the site, a stark reminder of Pyongyang’s anticipation of future casualties.
A deepening military agreement
The ceremony also showcased a show of unity between Pyongyang and Moscow.
Senior Russian officials, including State Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin and Defence Minister Andrei Belousov, attended the ceremony, while a letter from President Vladimir Putin was read out, calling the memorial a symbol of bilateral friendship.
Speaking separately with Kim, Belousov stated that both countries agreed to deepen their military cooperation in the long term by signing a roadmap for cooperation for the period between 2027 and 2031.
Hence, North Korea will play an increasingly essential military part in the conflict, and the agreement will become permanent rather than temporary.
According to South Korea’s intelligence agency, North Korea sent nearly 15,000 troops to fight at the Kursk front, losing 2,000 lives.
Military experts claim that although the North Koreans experienced heavy casualties owing to inexperience in using drones and operating in a foreign environment, the troops learned fast and turned out to be an essential part of Russian numerical superiority tactics against Ukrainians.
Some North Koreans managed to be captured alive by Ukrainian troops, with at least one of them feeling sorry for the mistake of having surrendered alive and not having ended his own life.
Rights organizations have warned that the repatriation of prisoners could result in a severe punishment in their native country, but South Korea stated that it will be ready to receive any of them wishing to defect.
As to whether the soldiers memorialized on those walls had a choice, this is a question that no one in Pyongyang is being asked.
