A recently released video shows a man, believed to be a North Korean soldier deployed to Russia’s Kursk region, struggling to communicate with Russian troops. The footage, which has sparked controversy, captures a Russian soldier forcing the North Korean soldier to repeat Russian profanity, highlighting the language barrier between the two forces.
The video was published on February 7 by Supernova+, a Telegram channel that shares real-time updates on the battlefield in Ukraine.
In the footage, a man believed to be a North Korean soldier is seen inside a building, smoking a cigarette while attempting to converse with several men in Russian military uniforms.
The North Korean soldier, who appears to be in his 20s, is wearing a Russian military uniform with a bucket hat. A red armband, typically worn by Russian forces, is visible on his left arm. He is seen resting a rifle on his lap while engaging in conversation with the Russian soldiers.
At one point, a Russian soldier instructs him to say something, prompting the North Korean soldier to reply in English, saying “North Korea.” He then points at something and, in heavily accented Korean, says, “I’ll use that.” It appears he was trying to communicate using a mobile translation app.
The Russian soldier then says “translator” in Russian, which the North Korean soldier attempts to repeat.
The situation escalates when the Russian soldier orders him to repeat a derogatory Russian swear word. The North Korean soldier complies, leading to laughter and apparent mockery from the Russian soldiers.
The video ends with the North Korean soldier looking at his phone, saying in Korean, “Whose is this?” before typing something on the screen.
The footage highlights a severe communication breakdown between Russian and North Korean troops.
The language barrier has been a persistent issue between the two forces. In October 2024, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) reported that North Korean soldiers were struggling to understand Russian military terminology.
Similarly, in December 2024, the UK Ministry of Defense assessed that the lack of a common language was significantly hindering command and control operations between the Russian and North Korean troops.
BY YOUNGNAM KIM [kim.youngnam@koreadaily.com]
