Kim Jong Un calls on North Korean youth to prepare for war in Ukraine - Reuters

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called young people the "vanguard" in advancing state goals and called for tighter organization. The government has identified young people as a key force for both internal mobilization and a military role in russia's war against Ukraine.

This was reported by Reuters, citing North Korean state media.

The 11th congress of the Socialist Patriotic Youth League, a political convention held every five years and aimed at mobilizing citizens aged roughly 14 to 30, concluded last week with mass rallies, torchlight processions and a gala concert in the capital.

On Saturday, Kim told delegates that youth were the "vanguard" in advancing state goals, calling the league a key force in implementing party decisions. He called for stricter organization and ideological discipline and posed for a group photo with participants.

In a letter published on Friday, the ruling Workers' Party directly linked the youth's loyalty to Pyongyang's involvement in the war in Ukraine, telling the congress that young soldiers deployed overseas had "become bombs and flames" in defending the country's honor.

South Korean, Ukrainian and Western officials estimate that North Korea has sent about 14,000 troops to fight alongside Russian forces in the Kursk Oblast, with more than 6,000 North Korean soldiers reportedly killed.

The focus on youth control comes amid an intensified crackdown on foreign cultural influence, with exposure to South Korean music, films and slang considered a serious political crime, as Kim positions youth policy as the foundation of social stability.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said in a public speech that there had been cases of North Korean soldiers taking part in the fighting in the Kursk Oblast committing suicide rather than being captured by Ukrainian forces. He called such actions "heroic deaths."

In August 2025, North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un awarded military personnel who fought against Ukraine during the battles in the Kursk Oblast.

And this year, North Korea held a military parade, in which units that fought against Ukraine on the side of the aggressor country of russia took part.

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