Seoul: As more North Korean troops die in the Russo-Ukrainian war, Pyongyang has been open about numbers and even tried to use them to the regime's advantage. The death toll is rising among North Korean troops sent to fight for Russia against Ukraine, and the regime in Pyongyang has resorted to tried-and-trusted techniques of propaganda to guarantee loyalty from North Koreans. Late last month, North Korean state media broadcast a documentary detailing the actions of troops serving in Ukraine, which did not shy away from the deaths of its military personnel.
According to Deutsche Welle, Min Seong-jae, a professor of communication and media studies at Pace University in New York, explained that the program depicted sacrificial suicides, which have become more prevalent since two injured North Korean soldiers surrendered to Ukrainian troops shortly after they were first deployed. The documentary showed footage of troops committing suicide, aligning with the regime's narrative of ultimate loyalty and sacrifice. Images of leader Kim Jong Un bowing before portraits of dead soldiers and embracing grieving family members were also broadcasted, highlighting his apparent anguish over their sacrifices.
Min stated that the regime uses such images to reinforce the message that absolute devotion to the homeland requires a willingness to die before surrender. The narrative is framed as heroic martyrdom rather than senseless loss. While outsiders may see horror in these images, North Korea presents them as proof of its soldiers' unbreakable spirit.
Two days after the documentary aired, South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) estimated that of the 13,000 soldiers deployed by Pyongyang to fight for Russia, 2,000 have been killed. Min suggested that Pyongyang aims this message not only at its domestic audience but also at its ally in Moscow, showcasing its fearless comrades and strengthening their partnership. In North Korea, the state's tight control over information ensures these images carry a very different meaning, framing the death as heroic martyrdom.
Erwin Tan, a professor of international politics at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul, proposed that the soldiers might have been forced to die by suicide after attempting to desert or performing poorly in battle. This video coverage might signal to other North Korean military members that cowardice and incompetence will not be tolerated. Another possibility is that soldiers were instructed to commit suicide to prevent being interrogated if captured, which would reveal the extent of North Korean involvement in the war.
Tan emphasized that the North Korean regime uses propaganda and internal security services to demand loyalty from its citizens, fearing a collapse similar to that of Soviet satellite states in the late 1980s. The regime recognizes the fragility of its grip on power and has built a network of informants and internal surveillance agencies to prevent uprisings. Military leaders who might resist are either rewarded with influence or purged.
A new feature of Pyongyang's propaganda about the war in Ukraine is the claim that North Korean troops intervened because the United States, Japan, and South Korea committed units to the Ukrainian side. This narrative aligns with the regime's portrayal of these countries as "eternal enemies," making the distant war feel immediate and ideologically consistent. By reframing the Ukraine war as another front in the struggle against these nations, the regime transforms it into a direct defense of the homeland, stirring emotions of pride, revenge, and resistance. This helps mask the reality that North Koreans are dying for Moscow's interests rather than their own.