Kim Jong-un pays rare public tribute to North Korean soldiers killed in Ukraine

[Jredbaron96]

Kim Jong-un pays rare public tribute to North Korean soldiers killed in Ukraine

Photographs of leader with soldiers’ coffins were displayed at a gala concert marking anniversary of military treaty with Russia

www.theguardian.com

"Kim Jong-un has paid tribute to North Korean soldiers killed during Russia’s war with Ukraine, resting his hands on their repatriated coffins in a rare public acknowledgment that his armed forces have suffered fatalities in the conflict.

Photographs of the North Korean leader pausing in front of a line of half a dozen coffins draped in the country’s flag were displayed on a screen at a gala performance held on Sunday to mark the first anniversary of a military treaty between the North and Russia.

The event at East Pyongyang Grand Theatre combined performances by North Korean and visiting Russian artists with images celebrating a mutual defence pact agreed by Kim and the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, in Pyongyang in June last year."

That's funny, I was told repeatedly that North Korean troops fightinf against Ukraine was just propaganda.

 

[ASHES]

I was wondering if the title was a mistake. It is. Article correctly states "killed during Russia’s war with Ukraine". I hadn't heard of any North Koreans dying in Ukraine. Not your flub.

 

[j brown's body]

I was wondering if the title was a mistake. It is. Article correctly states "killed during Russia’s war with Ukraine". I hadn't heard of any North Koreans dying in Ukraine. Not your flub.

Indeed, it appears that one of them might have actually been killed in the Kursk region of Russia.

Plus, some of them might have been injured in Ukraine and died after being brought back to Russia for medical aid.

 

[MamboDervish]

It would not surprise me if not a single one of them is left alive by the end of this year. After all, Putin did buy their lives. Better NK regulars than more Russian boys into the meat grinder. My guess is that if Mad Vlad asks for any more, Little Kim's price will go up.

 

[soylentgreen]

From the link

The North has sent an estimated 15,000 troops to fight in the war since last autumn. It has suffered about 4,700 casualties, including 600 deaths, South Korean lawmakers said in April, while Seoul’s intelligence agency recently claimed that additional deployments could come in July or August.

I bet you americans would prefer a leader like kim who honours his dead soldiers instead of playing golf and has the balls to send soldiers to help fight a war where yours will not.

 

[poppopfox]

Just "half a dozen?"

 

[ASHES]

It would not surprise me if not a single one of them is left alive by the end of this year. After all, Putin did buy their lives. Better NK regulars than more Russian boys into the meat grinder. My guess is that if Mad Vlad asks for any more, Little Kim's price will go up.

They're not dying so much now that Ukraine isn't occupying Kursk anymore.

 

[j brown's body]

From the link


I bet you americans would prefer a leader like kim who honours his dead soldiers instead of playing golf and has the balls to send soldiers to help fight a war where yours will not.

Well, we have half a Kim. He honors live soldiers and would send soldiers if he thought it made him look good (Fair, that could be a trait of having no balls.) He's a great admirer of Kim.

 

[j brown's body]

They're not dying so much now that Ukraine isn't occupying Kursk anymore.

What prevents them fighting in Ukraine?

 

[ASHES]

What prevents them fighting in Ukraine?

The agreement Kim made with Putin. It's a mutual defense pact, the troops are only to be used defending Russian soil. That is how they were used. Now they're freeing up Russian manpower for the meat grinder.

 

[MamboDervish]

They're not dying so much now that Ukraine isn't occupying Kursk anymore.

I suspect the Kremlin will dictate where they are deployed.

 

[ASHES]

I suspect the Kremlin will dictate where they are deployed.

Within the framework of the agreement with Kim. That is, not deployed to Ukraine. Yet. I think that's a possibility in the future.

 

[ASHES]

Indeed, it appears that one of them might have actually been killed in the Kursk region of Russia.

All of them were killed or injured in Kursk fighting the Ukrainian incursion.

Plus, some of them might have been injured in Ukraine and died after being brought back to Russia for medical aid.

Nope. All the videos we saw of North Koreans getting got were from inside Russia. I have never seen any confirmed reports of NK soldiers inside Ukraine. Certainly not the dozens killed by drones that we saw.

 

[Tigerace117]

It would not surprise me if not a single one of them is left alive by the end of this year. After all, Putin did buy their lives. Better NK regulars than more Russian boys into the meat grinder. My guess is that if Mad Vlad asks for any more, Little Kim's price will go up.

Given they’ve apparently suffered about 600 KIA from a force of 15,000, that’s a rather silly assertion.

 

[MamboDervish]

Given they’ve apparently suffered about 600 KIA from a force of 15,000, that’s a rather silly assertion.

Non sequitur. What has the number of dead have to do with peddling mercenaries at a bargain?

 

[ASHES]

Given they’ve apparently suffered about 600 KIA from a force of 15,000, that’s a rather silly assertion.

Look at that, we can agree on some things.

 

[Revelation]

Within the framework of the agreement with Kim. That is, not deployed to Ukraine. Yet. I think that's a possibility in the future.

yes, recently putin has made it QUITE clear that all of Ukraine will be his. this i have been stating for a long time and now here we are my friends....

‘All of Ukraine Is Ours’: Putin Just Said the Quiet Part Out Loud​

Key Points and Summary – Russian President Vladimir Putin made one of his starkest declarations of the war this week, stating at a St. Petersburg forum that “all of Ukraine is ours” because Russians and Ukrainians are “one people.”

-The imperialistic claim, met with applause, effectively torpedoes any near-term hope for peace negotiations. Putin’s comments came as Russia’s ground forces continue to make slow but steady progress in Donetsk and after he presented maximalist demands at the failed Istanbul peace talks.



many of us don't really get it, even though i continually spell it out with Large Crayons: Ukraine is going to russia, and across the pond, Canada is our 51st state. End of discussion.

let's continue, shall we...


-Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded by warning that Putin’s ambitions extend beyond Ukraine to any country “Russian killers can reach.”


and there you go again: ALL of Eastern Europe will go back into Putin's hands.

stop beating around the political endless warfare bush, just let is be known to unEnlightened viewers students of History.


next question please.

blessings.

 

[Tigerace117]

Non sequitur. What has the number of dead have to do with peddling mercenaries at a bargain?

You claimed you “wouldn’t be surprised if they were all dead by the end of the year”.

They have over ten thousand soldiers. They only lost about six hundred dead in the process of months of fighting and gaining experience. Short of a full scale nuclear exchange, the idea that the rest of the North Koreans would be all killed in action in the next six months is rather silly.

 

[Jredbaron96]

Just "half a dozen?"

I doubt they would lay out every fatality.

North Korea runs on public display and performance. Showcasing all hundreds or thousands of fatalities would make it seem like North Korean losses are heavy*.

Six is a small number that allows for public commendation of sacrifice.

*South Korea estimates just under 5,000 casualties, out of a force of 15,000. That's 1/3rd after several months of mechanized combat, so hardly unreasonable.

 

[MamboDervish]

You claimed you “wouldn’t be surprised if they were all dead by the end of the year”.

Correct.

They have over ten thousand soldiers. They only lost about six hundred dead in the process of months of fighting and gaining experience. Short of a full scale nuclear exchange, the idea that the rest of the North Koreans would be all killed in action in the next six months is rather silly.

Unless the Kremlin deploys them in Ukraine, where Russian casualties tally over 1,000,000.

 

[Tigerace117]

Correct.

Unless the Kremlin deploys them in Ukraine, where Russian casualties tally over 1,000,000.

Which is a ridiculous claim, since they’ve only lost about six hundred in months of fighting.

Russia has not lost anywhere close to a million KIA— and even claims of a million casualties total are dubious given the displayed Western habit to inflate casualty claims— so that doesn’t even remotely support your assertion

 

[Jredbaron96]

and even claims of a million casualties total are dubious given the displayed Western habit to inflate casualty claims— so that doesn’t even remotely support your assertion

A million casualties after 3.5 years of mechanized war is hardly unfeasible, especially given Russian addiction to the offensive.

 

[Rogue Valley]

A million casualties after 3.5 years of mechanized war is hardly unfeasible, especially given Russian addiction to the offensive.

And their addiction to trading bodies for ground.

 

[MamboDervish]

Which is a ridiculous claim, since they’ve only lost about six hundred in months of fighting.

My post already brings us past that. Unless you have some proof that the Korean mercenaries are not deployed under the direction of the Kremlin. Do you?

Russia has not lost anywhere close to a million KIA—

Nor did I suggest they did. I said casualties. And those estimates come from far and wide,

and even claims of a million casualties total are dubious given the displayed Western habit to inflate casualty claims—

A laughable comparison to suggest that LYING Putin, and the LYING Kremlin, would produce less dubious casualty numbers. They not only under count their casualties for western media, they do it for their own country. Unlike the West, the totally state controlled Russian press has been notorious for making shit up for more than 100 years already. Unlike the West, Russia has no independent press. None. Zero. никто ! In fact, on that point, unlike the West, Russia is also notorious for killing any journalist who dares expose the truth.

List of journalists killed in Russia - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

If you want to be taken seriously in this exchange, try to keep up at least with what is well known history. Otherwise, why bother being here?

And as for believing any numbers coming out of Pyongyang, nothing would be more laughable than those. They're worse than the Russians. Unless you're planning on arguing that they are believable, in which case nothing you write has any credibility at all.

so that doesn’t even remotely support your assertion

Actually it does. And it is more than supported by Putin's desperate attempts to shore up his own combat troop numbers by employing Korean mercenaries in the first place! Why does a huge country of more than 145 million people need foreigners to fight for them against little Ukraine, with a population less than 1/4 its size? Have at least a little sense. Seriously, is that too much to ask?

 

[Tigerace117]

A million casualties after 3.5 years of mechanized war is hardly unfeasible, especially given Russian addiction to the offensive.

I’ve repeatedly seen claims of Russia having taken a million KIA on this site. Given that Western estimates appear to have devolved to simply repeating the largest number they can think of, skepticism is entirely warranted.