North Korea Quietly Honors War Dead As Casualties in Russia Climb
December 31, 2024
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The North Korean authorities are reportedly handing out “war certificates” to families of soldiers killed in action on the front line of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Newsweek reached out to the Russian Foreign Ministry and the North Korean Embassy in China with written requests for comment.
Why It Matters
Grieving families of those killed in action are receiving the documents, as well as government-issued supplies and benefits, in exchange for secret pledges not to share any of the details they were given. Pyongyang continues to deepen its military ties with Moscow amid increasing reports of North Korean soldiers fighting—and dying—on the front lines of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
What To Know
Radio Free Asia cited a source in South Pyongan Province, north of the capital Pyongyang. They said they had on December 18 received a notice summoning them to a Workers’ Party of Korea committee event to distribute the certificates.
The event was reportedly attended by about a dozen family members of soldiers who “died while participating in sacred combat training in the honor of the motherland,” the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity for their safety. They added that most of the honored dead had served in the elite Storm Corps.
Ukrainian servicemen operate a T-72 tank in the Sumy region, near the border with Russia, on August 12. North Korea has begun awarding war certificates and supplies to families of troops killed there. Ukrainian servicemen operate a T-72 tank in the Sumy region, near the border with Russia, on August 12. North Korea has begun awarding war certificates and supplies to families of troops killed there. Roman Pilipey/AFP via Getty
Families were reportedly compelled to sign nondisclosure agreements. Despite this, “bereaved families assumed that their children had gone to Russia and died,” the source said.
Another source from South Pyongan Province told the news agency: “I was told by a colleague who participated in the event that about 20 of the bereaved families received their death certificates.” The authorities withheld details about where and how the soldiers died, only stating they had “died honorably for the sake of the Party and the country.”
The absence of location and cause of death was unusual, the source added, noting that these details are typically disclosed for soldiers who die during combat training in North Korea.
“The authorities are monitoring the movements of the bereaved families who have been awarded ‘war certificates’ and trying to block public opinion,” the source said.
“There is growing public outrage among residents that young soldiers in their 20s were forced to take bullets in order to earn foreign currency,” the source added.
South Korea estimates over 11,000 North Korean troops have been deployed to Russia’s Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces have been waging a counteroffensive since August.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently said there have been over 3,000 North Korean casualties in Kursk. South Korea reported over 1,000 casualties last week. Newsweek has not verified either figure.
Neither Pyongyang nor Moscow has acknowledged the presence of North Korean troops in Russia.
What People Are Saying
Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, wrote on Sunday in a post on the Telegram social media platform of the prospect of North Korean troops popping up along the border of members of NATO, the 32-member security alliance Ukraine has applied to join.
“When we talk about what European countries and NATO states should think about, it is worth considering the risks of hybrid threats at the borders,” Yermak wrote. “The appearance on the borders of NATO countries of the DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) military dressed in Russian uniforms, or Iranian proxies, is quite real, if you do not stop Russia now.”
“The DPRK military is already fighting in Europe. Who could have thought of this before?
“Impunity breeds permissiveness. Right now is the moment that requires strong decisions and strong actions,” Yermak added.
What’s Next?
Washington and its allies have warned Russia could provide advanced weaponry and technical expertise to advance Kim Jong Un regime’s United Nations-sanctioned nuclear and missile programs.
Admiral Samuel Paparo, head of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, recently said North Korea is set to receive aging Russian MiG-29 and Su-27 fighter jets.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff has warned that Pyongyang will continue sending its troops to fill out Russia’s military ranks.
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