North Korean Soldiers In Ukraine Ordered To Kill Themselves Before Capture, 300 Dead: Seoul

Last Updated:January 13, 2025, 11:39 IST

South Korean lawmaker Lee Seong-kweun said at least 300 North Korean soldiers were killed in the war so far, with all combatants ordered to kill themselves before getting captured.

The Russia-Ukraine War is nearing a grim three-year anniversary next month, with no end in sight. (Reuters)

A South Korean lawmaker citing information from Seoul’s Intelligence Service (NIS) has claimed that around 300 North Korean soldiers fighting in Russia’s war against Ukraine have been killed so far, adding that these soldiers have been ordered to kill themselves to avoid capture.

“The deployment of North Korean troops to Russia has reportedly expanded to include the Kursk region, with estimates suggesting that casualties among North Korean forces have surpassed 3,000," South Korean lawmaker Lee Seong-kweun was quoted by AFP as saying after a briefing with the spy agency. His figure included 300 deaths and 2,700 injuries.

Lee claimed the soldiers are reportedly from North Korea’s elite Storm Corps who have been ordered to kill themselves to avoid capture. “Notably, memos found on deceased soldiers indicate that the North Korean authorities pressured them to commit suicide or self-detonate before capture," he said.

One such North Korean soldier who was reportedly about to be captured shouted “General Kim Jong Un" and attempted to detonate a grenade before he was shot and killed, Lee said. Some of these soldiers were granted “amnesty" or wanted to join the ruling party of North Korea.

South Korea had claimed that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent over 10,000 soldiers to help Russia fight Ukraine in return for Russian technical assistance for Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons and satellite programmes. However, they lacked an understanding of modern warfare and were being used as “cannon fodder" leading to a high number of casualties, as per a NIS analysis.

Ukraine Captures Two North Korean Soldiers, Sets Conditions

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv had captured two North Korean soldiers, releasing a video of the two fighters being interrogated. Zelenskyy said Ukraine is ready to hand over Kim Jong Un’s soldiers in return for Ukrainian soldiers held captive in Russia.

“It’s only a matter of time before our troops manage to capture others. There should be no doubt left in the world that the Russian army is dependent on military assistance from North Korea," he said in a statement.

In the video, one of the injured combatants said he did not know he was fighting a war in Ukraine and was told it was a training programme. The soldier said he wanted to live in Ukraine if given the chance, while another fighter said he wanted to return to North Korea.

The capture of the two North Korean soldiers was also confirmed by South Korea’s spy agency. The NIS said one of the captured soldiers revealed during his interrogation that he received military training from Russian forces after arriving there in November.

“For those North Korean soldiers who do not wish to return, there may be other options available. In particular, those who express a desire to bring peace closer by spreading the truth about this war in Korean will be given that opportunity," Zelenskyy added.

Neither Moscow nor Pyongyang has acknowledged that North Koreans have been deployed to fight against Ukraine. The two countries have boosted their military cooperation since Russia launched its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Earlier, Zelenskyy shared a video on X claiming that Russian soldiers were burning the faces of fallen North Korean soldiers to conceal their identities before burial in the Kursk region. The purported video shows bodies of North Korean soldiers lying dead while soldiers appear to set fire to parts of their bodies on the snowy ground.

(with agency inputs)

Seoul, South Korea

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