North Korean soldiers in Kursk Oblast are told they are fighting against South Koreans

Representatives of the North Korean secret services are telling their soldiers in Russia's Kursk Oblast that they are fighting against South Korean troops as well as Ukrainians.

Source: Ri, a 26-year-old North Korean soldier who was captured by the Air Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in an interview with the South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo

Quote from the interview with Ri:

"Were there security officers from the Ministry of State Security embedded in your unit?

Each battalion (about 500 soldiers) had one or two.

Did they strictly enforce ideological and disciplinary control?

They monitored both our duties and our ideology. Before the battle, one of them told me that all the drone operators in Ukraine’s military were South Korean soldiers.

Did everyone believe that during combat?

(Nods.)

So you fought thinking you were up against not only Ukrainian forces but also South Korean troops?

(Nods.)

Did that make you fight even more desperately?

It was our first real combat experience. The fight wouldn’t be easy. From the start of training, it wasn’t just about physical endurance. It was ideological. Mountain marches, endurance drills, shooting practice… all of it fueled by sheer willpower. Dropping out was considered disgraceful, so we trained like our lives depended on it."

Details: In the interview, the North Korean also said that before being sent to Russia, he had been told he was going there as a student for training.

Quote from Ri: "I had no idea I would be participating in combat."

Details: Ri travelled to Russia with a party of 2,500 other North Koreans on 10 October 2024. They arrived in Kursk around mid-December (they travelled by train, then by plane and finally by bus).

Regarding the difficulties of "working" with the Russian military, Ri, who was given the position of reconnaissance sniper, said: "As lower-ranking soldiers, we had little interaction. Everything was handled by higher-ups – ammunition, supplies, clothing. There wasn’t much direct communication between North Korean and Russian soldiers."

The North Korean soldiers used translation apps to communicate with the Russians. Ri said it was the first time he had used such an app and that he had never talked to foreigners before.

When asked if he had heard much about South Korea, Ri answered, "Not much."

Background: 

• On 11 January, it was reported that Ukrainian forces had captured two North Korean soldiers in Russia’s Kursk Oblast.
• Ukraine's Special Operations Forces (SOF) released a video showing their operatives capturing and transporting a North Korean soldier, an event previously reported by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Another captured North Korean soldier was also shown in a video posted by Ukraine’s Air Assault Forces.
• A fake military ID discovered on a captured North Korean soldier in Kursk Oblast was issued in the name of a real person from the Russian republic of Tyva (Tuva). 
• The North Korean soldier captured by the Special Operations Forces in Kursk confirmed that he had fake Russian documents.
• South Korea has declared that it is ready to accept North Korean soldiers captured by Ukraine if they agreed to defect.

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