North Korean Parachute Drill Ends in Tragedy with Kim Jong Un’s Oversight

North Korean Airborne Troops conduct parachute training
Casualties reported following a crash accident
Training proceeds due to Kim Ju Ae’s attendance

Multiple casualties have occurred during a parachute training exercise overseen by Kim Jong Un, the Secretary General of North Korea’s Workers’ Party. Kim Jong Un’s second child and only daughter, Kim Ju Ae, was reportedly presented at the event.

The training, held on the 15th of last month, involved North Korean special forces conducting a mock airborne invasion of the South. It is speculated that the cause of the accident was due to strong winds that prevented parachutes from deploying or caused them to become entangled.

Despite the unfavorable weather conditions for parachute training, it is predicted that the training proceeded due to the attendance of Kim Jong Un and his daughter Kim Ju Ae, leading to the accident.

According to a report by KBS on the 3rd, “There was an unexpected accident during the airborne parachute training attended by Kim Jong Un on the 15th of last month,” revealing the internal North Korean source’s statement that “This is the result of insisting on training despite the strong wind.”

Despite the strong winds on the day, the training was enforced because Kim Jong Un was scheduled to attend. In photos and videos reported by the Korean Central News Agency the day after the training, one can see multiple soldiers, including young soldiers in their early twenties, falling due to their parachutes not deploying and becoming tangled in the strong wind.

The video captured a large force descending from a North Korean military transport plane with parachutes deployed, and two soldiers trying to untangle their entwined parachutes during the process.

A military official who reviewed the video said, “Even the airborne troops who left the body much later had their parachutes fully deployed, but these two soldiers are falling entangled as they are. In such a collision situation, it is difficult to operate the reserve parachute, so it is presumed that they suffered serious injuries or died.”

He added, “When the conditions for operations, such as wind, are not good, you should slow down the tempo and spread the troops out, but it is judged that Kim Jong Un’s attendance forced the maximum number of troops to descend at once to show something.”

South Korean and U.S. intelligence agencies tracked Kim Jong Un’s movements and learned of the parachute accident and the multiple casualties that occurred during the training through monitoring North Korea.

South Korean and U.S. information authorities reportedly became aware of the parachute accident and the multiple casualties that occurred during the training process observed by Kim Jong Un through surveillance assets monitoring North Korea.

The Korean Central News Agency of North Korea released 28 photos related to the training, and the scene of airborne troops descending can be seen in six photos.

Along with the photos’ release, it was reported that “Transport planes carrying airborne troops flew into the training ground, and combatants poured down on the imaginary enemy line like hail.”

Experts unanimously said that the North Korean Ministry of National Defense, the Air Force Command, and the 11th Corps, a special forces unit, pushed with the training to show the situation to match Kim Jong Un’s visit schedule, leading to significant casualties.

In particular, the fact that Kim Jong Un and senior military officials were seen watching the troops with stern expressions in the released video suggests that the training was enforced despite knowing the risk of accidents. The airborne training of the military is greatly affected by the weather, and it is known that the South Korean military usually does not conduct training when the wind blows at 17 knots or 0.005406 miles per second or more.

Although there were accidents during the training process, it is shocking that Kim Jong Un ordered intensive training to get used to actions in the most brutal conditions and unexpected combat situations.

A National Intelligence Service official neither confirmed nor denied the rumor of the accident, only stating that they are “keeping an eye on it.” The Ministry of Unification also said, “There is no information to confirm from the Ministry of Unification.”

Meanwhile, it appears that the idolization of Kim Ju Ae is in full swing in North Korea. They have continued their actions, such as The Rodong Sinmun and the Korean Central News Agency mentioning the great people of Hyangdo, or he appeared at the greenhouse farm completion and operation ceremony with Kim Ju Ae on the 15th.

In January, she was seen watching the New Year’s celebration performance at the Rungrado 1st of May Stadium right next to Kim Jong Un and even took the center seat.

Kim Ju Ae, who first revealed her appearance at the 2022 Hwaseong-17 test launch site, toured the missile production facility and attended the 75th-anniversary parade of the founding of the Korean People’s Army, leading to speculation that she is actively proceeding with the fourth-generation succession.