North Koreans “are much scarier than Wagner

In Kursk, the Kremlin does not hesitate to sacrifice North Korean soldiers like cannon fodder. However, these fighters from the Far East now arouse a certain fear among the Ukrainian troops.

Martin Küper / t-online

Recently, the tragic fate of the North Korean soldiers engaged in Kursk was made public. According to the South Korean secret service (NIS), Kim Jong Un sent up to 12,000 troops to reinforce his Russian ally, with the aim of expelling Ukrainian troops from the border region. Despite these efforts, success has not been achieved, and the lives of North Korean soldiers seem to have even less value than those of their Russian comrades.

???? Follow the war against Ukraine live ????

According to the NIS, around 300 North Koreans have already lost their lives in the fightingwhile 2,700 others were reported injured. To hide their presence and these heavy losses, the Russian authorities would even burn the bodies of the soldiers, making it almost impossible for their families to learn what happened to them. As for capture, it remains rare among North Koreans.

Last weekend, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that his troops had captured two North Koreans alive in Kursk, a first. He also shared images and video of their interrogation. This information was later confirmed by the NIS. However, during a previous capture attempt, the North Korean prisoners had succumbed to their injuries.

“One grenade near the head, and it’s over”

The main reason for the low number of prisoners would be a cruel order given by the Kremlin:North Korean soldiers are encouraged to commit suicide rather than surrender to the Ukrainians. Behavior confirmed by Ukrainian soldiers. Juri Bondar, of the 80th Airborne Brigade, describes the method:

Early reports suggested that North Korean troops were made up of young, inexperienced recruits. It was said that these soldiers, training in Russia, spent their time drinking or massively viewing adult content, a luxury that did not exist in their closed country. Images posted on social media showed men in poor physical shape, accentuating this impression.

But the stories of Ukrainian soldiers on the ground tell a different story. According to Ukrainian military spokesperson Yaroslav Chepurnyi, these soldiers are not “cannon fodder”, but seasoned infantrymen: “They are young, in good physical condition, courageous and know how to handle weapons. They are very disciplined, everything you expect from a good infantry soldier.” Juri Bondar agrees:

Unfailing devotion

Former North Korean soldiers corroborate these claims. One of them, a defector known under the pseudonym “Kim”, explains that soldiers sent abroad are brainwashed.

Fear of reprisals against their families also seems to motivate these soldiers to follow through. According to defense expert Yang Uk, this fear is omnipresent.

Translated and adapted from German by Léon Dietrich