It was reported last month that there were several casualties during the paratroopers’ training directly led by Kim Jong Un.
According to North Korean sources on the 4th, there were deaths and injuries when the North Korean airborne forces, equivalent to South Korean paratroopers, had a crash accident during their airborne training on the 15th of last month.
Strong winds at the time prevented parachutes from opening or entangling parachute lines, causing the accident.
There is speculation that the accident occurred due to forced training in harsh conditions, as Kim and his daughter Ju Ae visited this unit during the training.
The Workers’ Party newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, did not report on the accident and explained the day after the training, “It was conducted to assess actual combat capability.”
Kim is said to have even expressed joy, saying, “Their bravery directly conveys the fighting spirit of our army and their strong spirit.”
Kim also took a commemorative photo with the training participants.
This training was interpreted as a response to the US-Korea joint military exercise Freedom Shield (FS), which occurred from the 4th to the 14th of last month.
A military official said, “We are closely monitoring the North Korean military activities.”