A North Korean soldier deployed to Russia who was reportedly killed by Ukrainian forces was found with a cell phone manufactured by South Korean electronics giant Samsung, according to a social media post by the Ukrainian military.
The Ukrainian Special Operations Forces (SSO) killed two North Korean soldiers during a clearing operation targeting Russian military positions in western Kursk, the SSO revealed in a Facebook post on Tuesday.
During the operation, Ukrainian forces seized various pieces of equipment, including protective and tactical gear, a DL-5 rangefinder, a 1PN139-1 thermal scope, an AK-12 assault rifle with a 1P87 optical sight and communication devices.
Ukrainian forces also found printed documents written in Korean, providing pronunciation guides for Russian words to be used when handling captured Ukrainian soldiers. The documents contained phrases such as “bros’ oruzhie,” which means “drop your weapons,” and “razden’sya,” Russian for “take off your clothes.”
Other seized items included a passport from the Republic of Buryatia, a federal subject of Russia, and a handwritten New Year’s message believed to have been sent by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to his deployed troops.
The letter praised the soldiers for their service and sacrifices.
“Comrades! I miss you dearly. Please never forget that I’m constantly wishing and wishing for all of you to return safely and in good health,” he wrote, according to a photo of the letter released by Ukrainian forces.
The letter appears to be the same one previously reported on by the Washington Post, which suggested that North Korean commanders may have read Kim’s message aloud, with individual soldiers later transcribing it.
Recent reports suggest that the troops have been pulling back from the front lines in the Kursk region over the past two weeks after suffering significant losses.
“The Russians are standing, working everywhere along the front, but no Koreans,” a Ukrainian special forces commander, known by the call sign “Puls,” told Sky News.
“Either they’re analyzing their mistakes, or tending to their wounds, or maybe they’re waiting for reinforcements,” he added. “There’s talk that Kim Jong-un is sending more North Koreans here. That’s the situation.”
However, intercepted Russian communications suggested that the withdrawal may only be temporary.
“They’re still present, training or waiting for reinforcements,” Puls added. “Something is happening, they’ll be back soon.”
Andriy Kovalenko, head of Kyiv’s Centre for Countering Disinformation, said that following setbacks, North Korean troops are attempting to adjust their tactics to better fight against the Ukrainian forces.
“North Korean forces in the Kursk region have not learned how to counter Ukrainian drones and artillery, suffering significant losses,” Kovalenko wrote on Telegram on Tuesday. “They are now conducting ‘error correction’ sessions with Russian commanders and their own officers.
“It is too early to say that they will not continue active participation in the war. They are expected to remain actively engaged,” he said.
Kovalenko also noted that North Korea faces mounting challenges due to its soldiers being captured and the increasing documentation of fallen troops.
BY SEO JI-EUN [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]
