North Koreans argue as to whether dying for the fatherland is the “duty of the military” amid news of soldiers killed in Ukraine war

North Korean residents justify the sacrifice of soldiers deployed to Russia, saying dying for the fatherland is their duty.
In some areas of North Korea’s Yanggang Province, there has been controversy surrounding statements made by residents justifying the sacrifice of soldiers killed in Europe with some claiming that it’s their “duty to die for the fatherland.”
According to sources in the province on January 16, rumors have been rapidly spreading in Hyesan, the city on the Chinese border, that troops dispatched to Russia are being killed in battles against Ukrainian forces.
Some residents have expressed negative views, saying, “Young men who haven’t even gotten married are dying in a foreign country without leaving a name.” However, in contrast to this implicit criticism of the regime, other residents have voiced differing opinions, asserting, “Soldiers must be prepared to sacrifice their lives for the fatherland.”
A resident from Hyesan on January 12 shared his concern about the deployment with acquaintances. “Special forces soldiers sent to the Russian war are dying. How must their parents feel?”
In contrast, another person taking part in the same discussion stated, “The orders of the Party and the Supreme Leader must be carried out with our lives, no matter what. There must be a reason the Party has sent our military to Russia, and in carrying out the orders of the fatherland, it is an honor to die or live. Dying for the fatherland is the duty of the military.” This apparently led to a heated debate, a source said.
North Korea has always emphasized loyalty to the Party, the Supreme Leader, and the country, particularly urging soldiers to consider sacrificing their lives for the nation as a noble virtue. Such indoctrination conditions citizens to remain loyal.
Given this context, some residents view the sacrifice of the soldiers as a demonstration of loyalty, the source said. Others, on the other hand, criticize the decision, saying, “Sending our military to another country to lose their lives is wrong.”
“More people view the Russian deployment negatively than positively,” the source said. “Most do not see the deaths of young soldiers in a foreign country as something they can justify as serving the fatherland.”
Meanwhile, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service revealed on the 13th that around 3,000 North Korean soldiers deployed to support Russia in the war against Ukraine have been killed or wounded.