North Korea Claims 1.4 Million Young People Enlisted in Army to Fight “Holy War”

North Korea has reportedly mobilized 1.4 million citizens in what state media calls a “sacred war” against South Korea.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) stated that young people, including students and youth league officials, voluntarily signed petitions to join or return to military service between October 14-15. According to KCNA, these individuals expressed determination to “eliminate every confrontational maniac and criminal,” aiming their rhetoric at South Korea.

On October 15, North Korea destroyed roads connecting it to South Korea, marking the first step in severing all physical ties with its southern neighbor. KCNA referred to South Korea as “Korean trash” and accused it of violating the sovereignty and security of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea DPRK.

South Korean officials have not commented on these latest claims. However, Seoul’s defense ministry previously warned that any harm inflicted on South Korean citizens would result in the end of the North Korean regime.

Last year, North Korean state media reported that 800,000 citizens volunteered to fight the United States.

Earlier reports indicated that Russia is forming a special battalion of approximately 3,000 North Korean citizens, designated as the “Buryat” battalion, to participate in combat operations against Ukraine.

However, recent information has emerged that 18 North Korean soldiers have fled from their positions near the border between the Bryansk and Kursk regions, just 7 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. The motives for their escape remain unclear, and the Russian military has initiated searches while attempting to keep this information from higher command.

On October 14, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has referenced intelligence reports indicating North Korea’s de facto involvement in the ongoing war, after reports have emerged indicating that more than 20 soldiers were killed near Donetsk due to a missile strike on October 3, including six North Korean officers.