North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has visited a political education institution responsible for ideological training in the military, emphasizing the importance of ideological reinforcement among troops. This move appears to be a response to recent reports that a North Korean soldier captured by Ukrainian forces expressed his intention to defect to South Korea, prompting Kim to inspect and reinforce ideological discipline within the military.
According to Rodong Sinmun, North Korea’s state-run media, Kim visited Kim Il Sung Political University on Monday to mark its 80th anniversary. During his speech, Kim stated, “In military construction, ideological armament must come before military-technical armament.” He defined ideology, soldiers, and weapons as the three core components of military strength.
Kim further emphasized that “armament without ideology is mere scrap metal.” He outlined the military’s development strategy, prioritizing political and moral fortification before advancing military technology, including nuclear capabilities.
Analysts interpret this focus on ideological reinforcement as a response to potential morale issues among North Korean troops. These concerns stem from their involvement in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and frequent deployments to domestic construction projects. A South Korean Unification Ministry official stated that North Korean soldiers, frequently deployed for economic projects and sent to fight in Russia, are likely struggling to accept their situation naturally.
While North Korea has not officially acknowledged deploying troops to Russia, internal reports suggest that news of such deployments has led to increased draft evasion among North Korean youth.
According to Radio Free Asia (RFA), local sources reported that fear of death in combat has driven some conscripts to self-harm to avoid military service. Some have even severed their index fingers to be exempted from service, forcing the North Korean authorities to revise military enlistment regulations to curb these avoidance tactics.
Furthermore, the recent defection attempt by a North Korean soldier captured by Ukrainian forces has further heightened Pyongyang’s concerns. Ukraine has suggested that it may facilitate the repatriation of North Korean POWs to South Korea, escalating North Korea’s internal fears.
For North Korea, the idea that troops deployed to Russia might voluntarily seek asylum in South Korea is a worst-case scenario. This could draw renewed international attention to human rights violations in North Korea’s troop deployments and destabilize morale within the North Korean military.
During his inspection tour, Kim remarked, “There have been deviations among political officials responsible for educating our soldiers, failing to meet the expectations of the Party Central Committee.”
Although he did not specify what these “deviations” were, the fact that captured North Korean soldiers are expressing intent to defect suggests that military, ideological training has fallen short of the party’s expectations. This indicates that internal discussions may have identified voluntary defection among captured troops as a serious issue.
In response, North Korea is expected to implement follow-up measures to tighten control over its deployed forces. In the short term, Pyongyang is likely to instruct its Workers’ Party delegation in Russia to communicate with Russian authorities regarding the handling of surviving North Korean troops and captured POWs, reinforcing disciplinary measures.