Kim Jong Un Endorses ‘Self-Blasting’ Policy at Memorial Unveiling

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un used the opening ceremony of the Memorial Museum of Combat Feats at the Overseas Military Operations to commend soldiers who chose death over capture while fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine. In his address, Kim called the volunteers “heroes who unhesitantly opted for self-blasting, suicide attack” and declared that they “died a heroic death.” The ceremony featured bronze statuary, rows of graves, and a recorded message from President Vladimir Putin, with Russian Defence Minister Andrey Belousov and State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin in attendance.

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Pyongyang has sent at least 10,000 soldiers to Russia’s Kursk region since a 2024 mutual-defense pact with Moscow, supporting the war against Ukraine. Intelligence agencies and defectors have long alleged a battlefield directive that orders troops to avoid capture by detonating explosives, but the policy had never been publicly confirmed until Kim’s speech.

Bloomberg

The new memorial lists 2,288 names, 271 graves and over 1,700 compartments for cremated remains. South Korean and Western analysts estimate more than 10,000 North Korean personnel have served in Ukraine, with “thousands” killed or wounded. The expanding walls suggest additional graves will be added.

CNN

Kim framed the self-blasting directive as a defense of “the great honor” and a strike against “the United States and the West’s hegemonic ambitions.” Russian officials, including Defence Minister Andrey Belousov and Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, praised the joint sacrifice, while Pyongyang presented the site as evidence of “distinguished feats” performed without expectation of compensation.

WION

Human-rights groups warn that returning captured soldiers to North Korea could expose them to severe punishment, violating international humanitarian law. South Korean officials said they would accept any defectors, creating a diplomatic dilemma. A captured North Korean fighter told a South Korean broadcaster, “Everyone else blew themselves up. I failed,” expressing regret for not following the self-blasting directive.

CNN

Independent verification of the self-blasting policy remains limited. Ukrainian intelligence and defectors provide testimonies, but no external observer has confirmed the exact number of self-detonations. Casualty figures vary between sources.

Bloomberg

• “Heroes who unhesitatingly opted for self-blasting, suicide attack, in order to defend the great honor” — Kim Jong Un, Leader of North Korea

Bloomberg

• “They died a heroic death.” — Kim Jong Un, Leader of North Korea

Newser

• “They did not expect any compensation, though they performed distinguished feats,” — Kim Jong Un, Leader of North Korea

Newser

• “Everyone else blew themselves up. I failed.” — Captured North Korean soldier, speaking to a South Korean broadcaster

Newser

The memorial’s walls are being expanded for future graves, signaling ongoing losses. South Korean authorities are preparing to receive defectors, while diplomatic talks on POW repatriation intensify.

CNN