North Korean soldiers die in Russia, families left in dark
The Radio Free Asia portal has revealed that North Korean soldiers who died in Russia are posthumously being admitted to the Workers' Party of Korea. Families are not informed about the circumstances of their deaths or their participation in the war.
According to RFA, in North Hamgyong Province, the soldiers' families were invited to Pyongyang, where they were given death certificates and booklets confirming the deceased's membership in the Workers' Party of Korea. They were also promised new apartments in the capital once construction is completed. However, officials did not disclose details regarding the soldiers' deaths.
The families were forbidden to mourn the deceased or share information about their deaths, even with close relatives.
Special privilege
Membership in the Workers' Party of Korea is a special privilege that enhances the social status of families, giving them access to better education, jobs, and housing. Posthumous membership is usually granted to those who died in war and not to soldiers who died while performing duties during peacetime.
According to data provided in mid-January by the South Korean intelligence agency, in the partially Ukrainian-occupied Kursk region in western Russia, at least 300 North Korean soldiers have already died, and 2,700 have been injured.
According to authorities in Seoul, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent over 10,000 troops as "cannon fodder" to help Moscow in its fight against Kyiv—in exchange for Russian technological assistance with Pyongyang's military and satellite programs, which are under strict international sanctions.
