The intelligence services of South Korea confirmed this Friday the capture by Ukrainian troops of a first North Korean soldier wounded in the fighting in the Russian region of Kurskalthough they have stated that he died shortly after due to the severity of his injuries.
“We have confirmed through the Intelligence agency of a friendly country that a North Korean soldier captured alive on December 26 has recently died from worsening wounds”the South Korean National Intelligence Service said, shortly after confirming his capture by Ukrainian troops.
This confirmation has come hours after a Ukrainian military media reported the day before that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had captured the soldier on the front in Kursk, scene of a military incursion by the troops of Kiev since August. Later, an image of the soldier, who appeared to have suffered injuries in combat, circulated.
This same week, South Korean authorities estimated there were around 1,000 soldiers in North Korea who have been killed or wounded in fighting in the Russian region of Kursk (west) between the armies of Ukraine and Russia, which has military backing from Pyongyang.
Likewise, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) of South Korea indicated that North Korea would be prepared to deploy troops and additional military equipment in Russia, while speaking of “some signs” that Pyongyang “is preparing to manufacture and supply kamikaze drones first unveiled during a November visit by (North Korean leader) Kim Jong Un.”
“An allied spy agency confirmed that the North Korean soldier captured alive on December 26 has just succumbed to his injuries, which were serious”the South Korean intelligence services indicated in a statement.
The capture of this North Korean soldier was the first known case since kyiv and Western countries said Pyongyang had deployed troops.
The involvement of a foreign army in the conflict represents a considerable escalation in the invasion of the former Soviet republic that launched Russia almost three years ago.
The soldier was captured by the Ukrainian army, an intelligence source told AFPwho added that the place where he was arrested was unknown.
Several social media posts from Ukrainian accounts had shown photos of a supposedly captured North Korean soldier.
According to kyiv, 12,000 North Korean soldiers, including “about 500 officers and three generals”are deployed in the Russian Kursk region, where the Ukrainian army has been carrying out an offensive since August.
To date, neither Russia nor North Korea confirmed the presence of this contingent in the conflict.
The first report of the capture of a North Korean soldier came days after the Ukrainian president, Volodimir Zelenskyclaimed that nearly 3,000 North Korean soldiers had been “dead or wounded” so far.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff in Seoul also reported on Monday that more than 1,000 North Korean soldiers had been killed or wounded.
According to this military command, North Korea is preparing to deploy more units in Russiaas reinforcement or to relieve those who are already fighting.
Pyongyang and Moscow They signed a historic defense treaty in June, which came into force at the beginning of December. The agreement provides for “immediate military aid” in the event of armed aggression by a third country.
North Korean state media reported Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putinsent a New Year message to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, in which he stated that “bilateral ties between our two countries have been elevated following our June talks in Pyongyang.”
(With information from Europa Press and AFP)
