Images of North Korean self-propelled artillery, reportedly deployed on the frontlines of the Ukraine-Russia conflict, are circulating online, according to a report by Yonhap News on January 8.
Yonhap reported that the pro-Ukraine Telegram account Exile Nova Plus posted a video on January 7, claiming it showed a 170mm North Korean self-propelled gun, known as the “Koksan,” deployed at the front for the first time. The account noted that the video had initially spread among Russian soldiers.
The Koksan artillery system, frequently featured in North Korean military parades, was previously seen being transported by train to what was believed to be a Russian region in November 2023. The image had been shared on a Russian Telegram channel (ZOV_Voeoda).
Photos of personal belongings, allegedly from North Korean soldiers killed at the Kursk front in western Russia, have also surfaced. The pro-Ukraine volunteer group InformNapalm shared the images via its Telegram account, claiming that Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces killed 13 North Korean soldiers in a combined gunfire and drone strike.
The photos include a booklet labeled “Emergency Circulation,” a broken smartphone, and a rifle equipped with a scope. The presence of items such as a drone detector suggests that some of the casualties may have been officers, InformNapalm noted.
Among the belongings was a handwritten application for membership in the Workers’ Party of Korea, signed by a soldier named “Jung Geum-ryong.” The application contained pledges written in Korean, including statements such as, “With a firm determination to defend my motherland with my rifle, I voluntarily enlisted in the heroic Korean People’s Army,” and “I earnestly request to be accepted into the glorious Workers’ Party of Korea.”
The photos and videos are drawing significant attention as they provide further evidence of North Korea’s involvement in the Ukraine-Russia war, an issue that has raised international concern over Pyongyang’s growing military ties with Moscow.
BY HONGJAE CHUNG, YOUNGNAM KIM [kim.youngnam@koreadaily.com]
