Seoul, South Korea – Around 300 North Korean soldiers have reportedly lost their lives, and approximately 2,700 others have been injured while fighting alongside Russian forces in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, according to a South Korean lawmaker citing information from the country’s intelligence agency.
The involvement of North Korean troops in Russia’s war against Ukraine was initially revealed by South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS), which claims that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent over 10,000 soldiers to fight, allegedly in exchange for Russian assistance with Pyongyang’s weapons and satellite programs, which are under heavy international sanctions.
Over the weekend, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shared that Kyiv had captured two North Korean soldiers and released video footage of them being interrogated. The footage raised the possibility of a prisoner exchange with Russian-held Ukrainian soldiers.
According to the South Korean legislator Lee Seong-kweun, the deployment of North Korean troops has expanded to Russia’s Kursk region, with casualties among the North Korean forces now surpassing 3,000. Lee reported that of these casualties, 300 soldiers have died, and 2,700 have sustained injuries. Some of the soldiers reportedly belonged to North Korea’s elite Storm Corps.
Tragically, it was reported that North Korean commanders instructed their soldiers to commit suicide or self-detonate rather than be captured, with memos discovered on deceased soldiers confirming such instructions. The high number of casualties is attributed to the soldiers’ lack of knowledge about modern warfare, as they are being used in combat roles by Russia.
As tensions mount, President Zelensky expressed willingness to exchange the captured North Korean soldiers for Ukrainian troops held by Russia. He also suggested that there might be additional opportunities for those North Korean soldiers who do not wish to return to their home country.
North Korea and Russia have strengthened their military ties since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with allegations that Pyongyang has sent thousands of soldiers to support Russian forces, although neither country has officially confirmed these reports. The growing military cooperation between the two nations has also been linked to Russian support for North Korea’s nuclear ambitions.
The situation continues to unfold, with global concerns about the impact of foreign soldiers being deployed in the conflict and the ongoing toll it is taking on those involved.
