Evidence that North Korean troops deployed to the Kursk front in Russia lost their lives through suicide tactics was revealed through North Korean media.
Korean Central Television released combat footage of North Korean troops participating in the Ukraine war on the evening of the 31st last month.
The TV praised the cases of young soldiers with youthful faces who chose to commit suicide rather than surrender just before being captured, saying it was an 'heroic spirit of sacrifice.'
Youth Alliance members Yoon Jeong-hyeok (20) and Woo Wi-hyeok (19) commended, 'When surrounded by the enemy, we hugged each other and bravely committed suicide by detonating a grenade.'
Another Youth Alliance member, Ri Gwang (22), reported, 'When comrades coming to rescue him fell to enemy fire, he decided to commit suicide and detonated a grenade, but after losing only his left arm, he held the grenade again in his right hand against his head and bravely committed suicide.'
North Korea also revealed the fact that soldiers were consumed as 'human shields.'
Youth Alliance member Rim Hong-nam (20) stated, 'While on a mission to clear a path, as the attack time approached during a mine-clearing battle, he ran through the mined area to clear the path with his body and died gloriously in battle.'
Labor Party member Ham Jeong-hyeon (31) noted, 'During the ambush, he blocked an enemy suicide drone with his body, saved 15 combatants, and died gloriously.'
The TV honored the names of hundreds of such deceased soldiers in the subtitles, saying, 'The youth devoted in that way was not the end of a precious life, but the beginning of a glorious eternity.'
It appears that the North Korean military continued ideological education even on the front lines where casualties were increasing.
In particular, Kim Jong Un, the Chairperson, sent several letters to the deployed troops encouraging morale.
In one letter released by the TV, Kim wrote, 'I will continue to pray for the souls of our brave military personnel who have boldly sacrificed themselves to fulfill their homeland's orders from thousands of miles away,' and added, 'You must properly recover the bodies and bring them to me after victory.'
In a New Year's letter dated January 1 this year, he said, 'Because comrades are sacrificing their blood while fighting through the harsh battle, the environment for the country's development is firmly maintained,' urging, 'Please, everyone, remain safe.'
However, such circumstances were not shared with the residents at all within North Korea.
In the footage, North Korean soldiers are seen moving on a Russian flight in the middle of the night.
The TV revealed that, 'When departing for a faraway battlefield, there were no loving parents, no farewell ceremonies. There were very few people who even knew about the deployment,' indicating that the deployed troops moved secretly.
Kim also wrote in the New Year's letter, 'Though there hasn't been an official announcement, it felt as if the thousands gathered in the hall were sending their blessings and greetings to comrades in their hearts.'
Kim officially decided to send troops on August 28 last year, and the actual deployment took place at the end of October last year.
North Korea conveyed news of the deployment internally through state media on April 28 this year, six months after sending troops.
North Korea has been releasing documents like the 'process and countermeasures report for the operation plan aimed at liberating Kursk' signed by Kim on the 30th of last month, publicly detailing the decision-making process before and after deployment.
Additionally, last month, it held two large-scale veterans' events to console the families of the fallen soldiers, increasing pressure on Russia for compensation.