First North Korean Soldier Dies in Ukraine War, South Korea Confirms
The first North Korean soldier to be captured in the Ukraine war has died due to a deterioration in his condition, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) confirmed. The soldier was evidently captured along the frontline in Russia’s Kursk region, as per South Korean intelligence that citied a " friendly nation’s intelligence service."
An image, supposedly of the captured North Korean soldier, has been circulated on the Telegram messaging app. It is believed that North Korea has dispatched over 10,000 troops to aid Russia’s operations against Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated this week that Pyongyang’s forces have sustained over 3,000 casualties and injuries, with Yonhap reporting similar figures from Seoul.
The White House National Security Council spokesman, John Kirby, confirmed today that North Korean troops are being deployed en masse for assaults on Ukrainian positions in Kursk, as reported by France Press. Kirby remarked, "These waves of human forces have not been particularly effective. Clearly, the Russian and North Korean high commands view these as forces that can be sacrificed – thousands killed or injured in just seven or eight days."
Kirby also revealed data about suicide incidents among North Korean soldiers. "These North Korean soldiers appear very indoctrinated. There’s data that suggests North Korean soldiers are committing suicide rather than being captured by Ukrainian forces, likely out of fear of reprisals against their families in North Korea if they are taken."
According to Kirby, the presence of these foreign troops on Russian soil is a sign of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s desperation.
