South Korean officials said Friday that Ukrainian forces captured a North Korean soldier sent to fight alongside Russian troops, though the soldier later died in captivity.
Around 12,000 North Korean troops have been deployed to help Russia in its war against Ukraine, according to U.S. and South Korean officials. Most of them have been involved in a counteroffensive in the Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces launched a surprise border incursion in August and continue to control some Russian territory.
"Through real-time information sharing with an allied country's intelligence agency, it has been confirmed that one injured North Korean soldier has been captured," South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) said in a statement.
The Ukrainian army captured the soldier, a South Korean intelligence source told AFP, adding that the location where he was taken was not known.
Later on Friday, authorities in Seoul announced that the North Korean soldier died while in captivity.
"It has been confirmed through an allied intelligence agency that the North Korean soldier captured alive on Dec. 26th has just passed away due to worsening wounds," NIS said.
News of the soldier's capture came days after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that nearly 3,000 North Korean soldiers have been "killed or wounded" or wounded since being sent into combat.
South Korea's intelligence service had previously put the number of killed or wounded North Koreans at 1,000, saying the high casualty rate could be down to an unfamiliar battlefield environment and their lack of capability to counter drone attacks.
Pyongyang's soldiers were also being "utilized as expendable frontline assault units," South Korean lawmaker Lee Seong-kweun said last week.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
