Thousands of North Korean soldiers have already died serving Russia in the Ukraine War. But for the first time, Kiev has announced the capture of one of these fighters, who are used by Putin's troops in the attempt to reconquer Kursk. South Korea's spy agency confirmed on Friday the capture of this soldier, who has died due to the severity of his injuries.
"Through real-time information exchange with the intelligence organization of a friendly nation, we confirmed the capture of a North Korean soldier," said South Korea's National Intelligence Service in a brief statement. "It has been confirmed, through an allied intelligence agency, that the North Korean soldier captured alive on December 26 has just succumbed to the worsening of his injuries," it added
The confirmation from the South Korean side comes after the Ukrainian military media outlet Militarnyi reported on Thursday the capture by Ukrainian forces of a North Korean soldier during an operation in the Kursk region, on Russia's western front line, although it did not specify when the incident had occurred.
The outlet cited a photo shared on the messaging service Telegram showing a possibly Asian and emaciated-looking soldier being transported by Ukrainian soldiers whose identities were preserved.
"The special forces group carried out an operation to destroy the enemy in the Kursk sector. In addition to the successful completion of the task, there were also trophies: prisoners, including a North Korean mercenary, and an armored vehicle," the Ukrainian outlet's text stated.
According to South Korean officials, around 11,000 North Korean soldiers have been sent to Russia so far, with indications of preparations for further troop and military equipment deployment.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated earlier this week that the number of North Korean soldiers killed and injured in Kursk exceeded 3,000, according to preliminary data.
"There is a risk that North Korea will send more soldiers and military equipment to the Russian army. We will have a response to this," Zelensky also wrote on Telegram.
The risk of destabilization in the Korean Peninsula and neighboring regions and waters increases proportionally to the growth of cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang and the spread of Russia's military technology and experience, the Ukrainian president further emphasized, calling for "effective pressure" against Russia and North Korea.
North Korean drones could soon be tested by combined Russian and North Korean forces in the Russian region of Kursk, warned Andri Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council, on Monday.