SEOUL, April 29 (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has praised soldiers who committed suicide while fighting against Ukrainian forces in Russia's Kursk region, confirming an extreme battle policy.
North Korea sent an estimated 14,000 troops to fight with Russian forces in Kursk region. South Korean, Ukrainian and Western officials said they suffered heavy casualties with more than 6,000 North Korean soldiers killed in the fighting.
Mounting evidence, including from intelligence reports and testimonies of defectors, has indicated that North Korean soldiers resorted to self-detonation or other forms of suicide rather than be captured.
In a speech addressing Russian officials and bereaved families at a completion ceremony for a memorial honouring North Korean soldiers, Kim mentioned for the first time the lengths to which they had gone, praising them as "heroes", according to a transcript published by North Korean state media KCNA on Monday.
"It is not only the heroes who unhesitatingly chose the path of self-destruction and suicide to defend great honor, but also those who fell while charging at the forefront of assault battles," he said.
Kim said those who survived were also patriots.
"Those who writhed in frustration at failing to fulfil their duty as soldiers rather than suffering the agony of their bodies being torn apart by bullets and shells — these too can be called the party's loyal warriors and patriots," he said.
In return for sending troops and munitions, Pyongyang has received economic and military technology assistance from Russia, according to South Korean intelligence assessments.
(Reporting by Brenda GohEditing by Gareth Jones)
