North Korea Brings Back 'Human-Bomb Heroes'… Propaganda Mirroring Glorification of Suicide Attacks

The Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum located in Seosong District, Pyongyang.
Korean Central Television (KCTV) reported on its evening news on July 24 that a group of university students wearing school uniforms with white shirts and red neckties or decorative ribbons recently visited this museum. It was part of an ideological education campaign held ahead of July 27, the day the armistice agreement was signed, which North Korea calls "Day of Victory in the Great Fatherland Liberation War." The museum features about 30 exhibition halls and rooms, and the place introduced as being toured on this day was the "Heroes' Hall," where materials on around 620 individuals are displayed. The featured figures were the so-called "human-bomb heroes," of whom 24 exist among those 620 individuals.
"Yuktan" (human bomb or human bullet). This term refers to the act of using one's own body as a bullet to attack enemy lines, or the body performing such an action. The museum instructor raised the mood by boasting that there was even an instance where three "human-bomb heroes" came from a single platoon, naming them one by one. According to the description of "meritorious deeds" shown on screen, an individual named Kim Ok-geun was recorded as having "blocked the enemy's firing port in the Chugok-ri area of Yanggu County on December 25, 1950, opening an assault path for the unit."

The lecturer built up the atmosphere with explanations such as "His body literally became a human bullet" and "He blocked the enemy's machine gun with his chest." A youth who received the education responded, saying, "The life of a human-bomb hero (shows) us young university students in our hearts that a life dedicated to the Party, the Leader, and the people is eternal." Reflecting totalitarian characteristics that prioritize only the collective, the individual name of the interviewed university student was not even introduced.
This event naturally brings to mind the cases of troop deployment to the Kursk region in Russia and deaths caused by suicide attacks. While the Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum holds records of human-bomb soldiers from the 1950s, the "Overseas Military Operations Battle Feats Memorial Hall," which opened in April this year, contains records of soldiers who died after throwing grenades during their deployment to Russia.

North Korea has repeatedly glorified those who committed suicide attacks during their deployment to Russia as heroes, calling them "stars of the motherland." As in Kim Ok-geun's case, the process leading to their deaths has also been introduced through videos and other media. An individual named Ri Gwang-eun reportedly attempted a suicide explosion with a grenade after comrades trying to rescue him fell wounded, and when the first attempt failed, he held another grenade to his head and detonated it. An individual named Ri Hong-nam is said to have charged through a minefield with his body to clear a path when time was running out for mine clearance.
Highlighting human-bomb death incidents from the Korean War once again and presenting suicide attack cases of troops deployed to Russia as heroic tales—though the eras and locations are different, the values North Korea emphasizes do not appear much different. It repeatedly exposes actions that could be considered extreme as the most ideal acts of loyalty. Honoring those who sacrificed their lives for their country is not something unique to North Korea. However, North Korea clearly differs in that it does not stop at merely honoring sacrifice. (However, actual battlefield conditions appear to have differed from North Korean propaganda. According to a report by the National Intelligence Service to the National Assembly Intelligence Committee in January last year, notes left by deceased North Korean soldiers reportedly contained contents emphasizing committing suicide or self-detonation before being captured.) Why is North Korea bringing back "human-bomb heroes" now? It seems this can be summarized into roughly two reasons.

The first is a routine factor. It is because this is the period for intensive annual ideological education. North Korea designates the period from June 25, when the Korean War broke out, to July 27, the day the armistice agreement was signed, as the "Month of Anti-US Joint Struggle." Indeed, during this period, large-scale education is conducted targeting not only youth and students but also various social classes. War veterans visit schools to share their combat experiences from that time, emphasizing the need to defend the motherland to the end. During these events, a routine ritual involves veterans handing over the North Korean national flag to young people, who take it while shouting their resolve. On July 24, KCTV also broadcast footage showing veterans in their 90s lecturing at Han Tok Su Pyongyang University of Light Industry and Pyongyang University of Tourism. The veterans in their 90s urged the students to "fly high the flag defended with blood," and the students responded that they would carry on that spirit. During this period, North Korea transforms into a massive arena for security education.
Another presumed reason is the recent international security environment. Outside North Korea, multiple conflicts are taking place simultaneously, such as Russia and Ukraine, the U.S. and Iran, and Israel and Hamas. While some may look like David versus Goliath battles, victory or defeat in all these wars is not being determined solely by military power indicators. Despite significant power disparities, there has been no overwhelming victory, and the wars are prolonging. Although variables like drones and the Strait of Hormuz have been decisive, the holding power of the seemingly weaker side also appears to be considered an important factor. Of course, this does not mean North Korea enhanced such education because it expects an immediate war on the Korean Peninsula. However, watching these wars, it is highly likely North Korea realized anew that enduring for a long time in an emergency requires not only weapons and troops, but also ideological unity and a combative attitude among its people. Bringing up the "human-bomb heroes" from the Korean War after extensively heroicizing the sacrifice of troops deployed to Russia can be interpreted in this context. It is viewed as an effort to instill in advance attitudes of obeying orders unconditionally, never backing down against the enemy, and holding out to the end. However, it remains uncertain how appealing such education will be to North Korean residents, including young people.

Daily NK, a news outlet specializing in North Korea, cited a source in North Hamgyong Province in June when class education work was further intensified, reporting residents' reactions of fatigue, with many participants feeling "it's the same old story repeated over and over." Even Kim Jong-un himself remarked that "among some officials, they say people these days are different from those of past eras, obsessing over material aspects rather than ideological factors even in Party work," suggesting that the atmosphere in North Korean society has changed significantly. The fact that the importance of extreme sacrifice continues to be emphasized may paradoxically suggest that North Korea is also transforming into a society where such sacrifice is no longer naturally embraced.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.