What is Kim Jong Un’s ‘self-blasting’ policy? North Korean soldiers ending their lives for Russia ‘to defend the great honour’
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "What is Kim Jong Un’s ‘self-blasting’ policy? North Korean soldiers ending their lives for Russia ‘to defend the great honour’")
This picture taken on February 27, 2026 and released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) via KNS on February 28, 2026 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un taking part in a photo call with officers and soldiers of parade units at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang. Photograph: (AFP)
Kim Jong Un praised “self-blasting", a policy where North Korean soldiers in Ukraine commit suicide to avoid capture. Kim honoured these “heroes” at a new Pyongyang memorial museum alongside Russian officials.
Reports that North Korean troops fighting alongside Russia in Ukraine may be taking their own lives to avoid capture have drawn international attention, following remarks by leader Kim Jong Un praising such actions as a form of battlefield honour.
According to a report by Bloomberg, citing North Korean state media, Kim commended soldiers who reportedly chose death over capture, describing their actions as a “historic death in order to defend the great honour”. He referred to them as “heroes who unhesitatingly opted for self-blasting” and said they did not expect compensation despite their actions.
The so-called “self-blasting” policy refers to an alleged military tactic in which soldiers are instructed to avoid capture at all costs, including by ending their own lives. The claims have emerged from Ukrainian intelligence assessments and testimony from a captured North Korean soldier, though independent verification remains limited.
The issue has gained prominence amid North Korea’s growing involvement in Russia’s war against Ukraine. Pyongyang has reportedly supplied both weapons and personnel to Moscow, strengthening ties between the two countries.
Memorial ceremony in Pyongyang
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In a show of solidarity, Kim and Russia’s Defence Minister Andrey Belousov recently unveiled a memorial museum in Pyongyang honouring North Korean soldiers who died in the conflict. The event was attended by senior Russian officials, including State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin.
Footage of the ceremony, reported by the BBC, showed military jets flying overhead and white balloons released into the sky, alongside the unveiling of a statue dedicated to the fallen troops. Kim also laid flowers and took part in memorial rites before signing a guest book with visiting Russian officials.
In his address, Kim said the fallen soldiers would remain “a symbol of the Korean people’s heroism” and would contribute to what he described as a “victorious march” of both nations.
