The first North Korean soldier to be captured by Ukrainian troops has died in custody, according to South Korean intelligence officials.
The unidentified soldier, one of the thousands deployed by Pyongyang to fight alongside Russian forces, was captured on December 26 in the Kursk region.
He was reportedly already wounded when Ukrainian special operations troops took him into custody.
The soldier’s death occurred on December 27, as his wounds worsened, according to South Korea’s National Intelligence Service. The agency cited intelligence from a “friendly country” in confirming the soldier’s passing. Photos of the gaunt, fatigues-clad North Korean soldier, taken while he was still alive, reportedly circulated on Telegram.
This marks the latest development in the ongoing involvement of North Korean forces in the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Pyongyang has sent around 11,000 soldiers to support Russian troops, with reports suggesting that more soldiers and military equipment may be on their way.
South Korean officials also noted signs that North Korea is preparing to send additional soldiers, weapons, and even suicide drones.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed that more than 3,000 North Korean soldiers have already fallen in the Kursk region. He warned of the potential for additional North Korean troops and military support to be deployed to the front lines.
South Korea’s military has been monitoring these developments closely, reporting signs that North Korea is preparing more forces and weaponry for further involvement.
Zelensky previously claimed that Russian soldiers had burned the faces of dead North Koreans to conceal their identities.
Reports suggest that the inexperienced North Korean soldiers have become a burden to Russian forces due to their lack of knowledge about drone warfare, as well as language barriers that have led to incidents of friendly fire.
The deployment of North Korean troops signals a significant escalation in the conflict as Russia seeks to regain momentum in its prolonged invasion of Ukraine.
