About 300 North Korean soldiers fighting for Russia in Ukraine have been killed, with 2,700 others injured, South Korean lawmakers said Monday. The announcement follows Ukraine’s confirmation of the capture of two North Korean soldiers, the first taken alive since the reclusive state’s involvement in the war began.
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) briefed lawmakers, revealing that North Korean troops have suffered high casualty rates due to “poor understanding of modern warfare tactics” and the ways in which Russia has deployed them. Lawmakers also reported that North Korean soldiers have been ordered to commit suicide using explosives rather than risk capture.
Ukrainian and U.S. officials estimate around 11,000 North Korean troops have been stationed in Russia’s Kursk region, where Ukraine launched a cross-border offensive in August. Neither Russia nor North Korea has publicly confirmed the troop deployment, though their strengthening security ties suggest mutual cooperation.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday reiterated Ukraine’s willingness to exchange the captured North Korean soldiers for Ukrainians held by Russia. “There will undoubtedly be more [captures],” Zelenskyy said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
The post included a video showing two captured North Korean soldiers. One appeared to have bandaged hands while another had a bandage on his jaw. NBC News could not independently verify the video. Zelenskyy added that for those unwilling to return to North Korea, “other options may be available,” particularly for those who wish to promote peace by sharing the truth about the war in Korean.
South Korean intelligence confirmed the soldiers’ capture and assisted in questioning them with translation. Their detention is expected to yield valuable insights about North Korea, a secretive state whose leader, Kim Jong Un, has increasingly aligned with Russia in exchange for military and technical assistance.
Experts say North Korean troops are poorly trained despite belonging to one of the world’s largest armies. Former North Korean intelligence officer Lee Chul Eun, now a defector in South Korea, told NBC News that the soldiers are sent as mercenaries under Kim Jong Un’s orders, not voluntarily.
“These young soldiers are being sacrificed,” Lee said.
North Korea’s involvement in Ukraine, which began last fall, represents a significant escalation of the conflict. A North Korean soldier captured in December reportedly succumbed to injuries before revealing information.
Last month, White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said some North Korean soldiers have taken their own lives rather than surrender, likely out of fear of retaliation against their families in North Korea.
The Kremlin declined to comment on Ukraine’s offer to exchange the soldiers. Russian spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, “We do not know what is true there, who offered what to whom. But the lives of each of our soldiers who are in captivity are important to us.”
