The first North Korean soldier captured by Ukrainian troops has died in captivity, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, NIS, reported on Friday.
The spy agency’s announcement came hours after South Korean Yonhap news agency reported the first case of the capture of a North Korean soldier in the Russia-Ukraine war. The report had not mentioned the location of the captives or other details.
“Through real-time information sharing with a friendly nation's intelligence organization, we confirmed the capture of a wounded North Korean soldier and plan to thoroughly examine the subsequent development,” NIS said.
The soldier’s capture marked the first case in a string of captures. According US intelligence reports, North Korea has deployed over 12,000 soldiers in Russia’s border Kursk region since Ukraine’s large-scale incursion into the region in August. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Monday that more than 3,000 North Korean troops fighting alongside Russians have died or been injured in Kursk.
Earlier, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence (HUR) reported “destruction” of large number of North Korean soldiers during strikes near Novoivanovka on December 20. The spy agency said despite heavy casualties, Russia has ordered North Korean troops to remain in their positions. Pyongyang soldiers are believed to face major challenges in Russia due to their lack of combat experience, lack of military training, as well as language barrier.
