Seoul, Jan 13 (EFE).- North Korea has allegedly ordered its soldiers fighting in Russia’s war against Ukraine to commit suicide rather than be taken prisoner, according to South Korea’s intelligence service.
South Korea estimates at least 300 North Korean troops have died in the conflict.
The revelation came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the capture of the first two North Korean soldiers fighting in the war.
According to the NIS, North Korean troops have suffered “massive casualties” due to their “lack of understanding of modern warfare,” a point raised during a closed-door briefing with South Korean lawmakers. Ruling party legislator Lee Seong-kweun later disclosed the points to the media.
While the NIS puts the number of North Korean casualties at 300, Zelenskyy claimed that at least 4,000 North Korean troops have died in Russia’s Kursk region, where Kyiv says Pyongyang has deployed 11,000 personnel to support the Russian forces.
The US estimates the number of North Korean deaths at around 1,000.
Pressure to Avoid Capture
The NIS noted that Pyongyang has pressured its soldiers to commit suicide if faced with capture, and highlighted the lack of preparedness of North Korean forces, describing their actions as “useless,” such as firing at long-range drones with ineffective weapons.
Following the capture of the two North Korean soldiers, Zelenskyy proposed a prisoner exchange with Pyongyang, offering to return the soldiers in exchange for the release of Ukrainian prisoners held by Russia.
Zelenskyy shared a video on his official X account showing the interrogation of the two captured soldiers, who appeared wounded.
In the video, one soldier claimed he was unaware he would be deployed to an actual war and expressed a desire to remain in Ukraine.
The second soldier said he wished to return to North Korea but indicated that his family is unaware of his whereabouts.
The NIS analysis suggests that the two soldiers belonged to the North Korean General Reconnaissance Bureau, an elite intelligence unit within Kim Jong-un’s regime. EFE
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