North Korea used its military’s participation in Russia’s Victory Day parade to conduct ideological indoctrination sessions targeting security officials, in what reflects Pyongyang’s effort to legitimize its growing battlefield role alongside Russian forces.
A Daily NK source in Pyongyang reported on Friday that on May 12, the Ministry of Social Security — one of North Korea’s two principal internal security agencies, responsible for police and public order — held simultaneous ideological lecture sessions at its headquarters and at provincial security bureaus across the country. The sessions commemorated the participation of a combined Korean People’s Army (KPA) army, navy, and air force contingent in Russia’s 81st Victory Day parade on May 9 in Moscow’s Red Square.
The lectures were conducted in video format and centered on ideological themes urging officials to be prepared to die on the battlefield in service to Kim Jong Un.
According to the source, the lecturer declared that “under the wise leadership of the great comrade Kim Jong Un, our military demonstrated its might as a powerful force at the heart of Russia,” describing the parade as “an unprecedented victory for the republic’s international standing.”
The lecturer also promoted the overseas reception of the KPA’s performance, claiming that the many national delegations and media outlets gathered in Moscow “could not conceal their admiration” at the disciplined march of North Korean troops. The emphasis on international prestige appeared designed to foster internal cohesion.
Notably, the lecturer singled out the moment when Colonel Choe Yong Hun, who led the KPA parade contingent, received a direct expression of gratitude from Russian President Vladimir Putin. This was framed as “the highest honor for a soldier of the Kim Jong Un era.”
Soldiers must be ready to die wherever Kim Jong Un orders
The most striking element of the sessions was the explicit message delivered to officials: “A soldier of the Kim Jong Un era must be prepared to lay down their bones wherever the Supreme Commander orders — even if that place is a battlefield engulfed in flames.”
The source said the parade was presented “as a political event demonstrating that the Korean People’s Army is ready to play a leading role on the battlefield,” with the phrase “defending the war front” repeated throughout. Given the deepening military cooperation with Russia, the source suggested the language may have been intended to prepare officials psychologically for the possibility of further KPA deployments.
The atmosphere in the lecture hall was described as tense and silent throughout. Security officials sat rigidly, continuously writing down phrases in their notebooks.
After the session ended, some officials were overheard expressing conflicted reactions. While they said their hearts swelled seeing North Korean troops march across Red Square, they added that repeated references to dying on the battlefield “made their skin crawl” as they thought of soldiers who had already been killed in action.
Reporting from inside North Korea
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June 1, 2026 at 06:57PM
by DailyNK(North Korean Media)