Around 300 N.K. soldiers killed, 2,700 wounded during fight against Ukraine: S. Korea’s spy agency

January 13, 2025

At least 300 North Korean soldiers dispatched to support Moscow’s war in Ukraine have been killed, with some 2,700 others injured, South Korea’s spy agency told lawmakers Monday.

The National Intelligence Service (NIS) shared the information with lawmakers during a closed-door meeting by the parliamentary intelligence committee, according to Rep. Lee Seong-kweun of the ruling People Power Party.

The NIS said it attributed the “massive casualties” of North Korean soldiers to their “lack of understanding of modern warfare,” including their “useless” act of shooting at long-range drones, based on the agency’s analysis of a combat video it obtained recently.

The spy agency also said North Korea has stressed to its soldiers to kill themselves to avoid being captured alive by the Ukrainian military.

On Ukraine’s recent video release of two wounded North Korean soldiers in Russia’s western Kursk region, Lee said, “The prisoner of war has not expressed his intention to come to South Korea.”

In the nearly three-minute footage released by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on X on Sunday, one of the soldiers with bandages on his hands said he wants to remain in Ukraine when asked if he wishes to return home.

The soldier also indicated he was unaware of being deployed for the war against Ukraine, shaking his head when asked if he knew he was fighting Ukraine.

In his post on X, Zelenskyy said Ukraine is prepared to hand over captured North Korean soldiers in exchange for Ukrainian captives in Russia.

The NIS said it will actively consult with Ukraine if the soldiers request defection to the South based on the view that the will of the captured North Koreans is the utmost priority as “North Koreans are considered as South Korean nationals in terms of constitutional values.”

The NIS assessed the two soldiers were with the Reconnaissance General Bureau, a key North Korean military intelligence agency.

News of the troop deployments is spreading across North Korea, the NIS said, noting the families of those dispatched have expressed concerns of the soldiers being dispatched as “slave soldiers” and “cannon fodder.”

Meanwhile, those not directly affected by the deployment have shown more optimistic reactions, with expectations of Russian aid that can help improve their livelihoods.

The spy agency also revealed evidence suggesting the North Korean authorities have provided compensation, such as food and daily necessities, to the families of deployed soldiers.