Kim Jong-Un Praises Soldiers' Suicides in Ukraine War

Dagens Nyheter reports on North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un's chilling praise for soldiers who commit suicide rather than be captured. This statement, made at a ceremony for fallen soldiers, highlights a disturbing aspect of North Korean military ideology. The regime appears to be cultivating a culture where self-sacrifice, even through suicide attacks, is presented as the ultimate form of loyalty.

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Det är ett meddelande söderut

Lars Vargö, an expert on Korean affairs, suggests this public pronouncement serves as a strategic message to South Korea, aiming to instill fear and project an image of unwavering, fanatical devotion among North Korean troops. The emphasis on loyalty is deeply rooted in Korean culture, but the regime weaponizes it to an extreme degree.

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It is a message to the South

While intelligence reports have long hinted at such expectations for North Korean soldiers, this is one of the first times the regime has openly acknowledged it. This public declaration could be an attempt to deter soldiers from surrendering to Ukrainian forces, where capture could yield valuable intelligence, or from defecting to South Korea, which readily accepts North Korean defectors. The regime's priority is to prevent any information leakage or loss of face, even at the cost of glorifying death.

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It is a message to the South