Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed his willingness to release North Korean soldiers captured by Ukraine in the Kursk region of Russia in exchange for Ukrainian soldiers currently held captive in Russia. This move marks the first time Kyiv has captured soldiers alive from North Korea.
The captured North Korean soldiers, as shown in a video released by Ukraine's Security Service, include one soldier with a jaw wound and another with bandaged hands. The soldiers claimed they were unaware they were fighting in a war against Ukraine, believing it to be a training exercise as instructed by their commanders.
In the video, one of the soldiers expressed a desire to stay in Ukraine, while the other indicated a willingness to return to North Korea but later stated he would comply with instructions. Ukrainian President Zelensky emphasized the intention to capture more North Korean soldiers, highlighting the alleged military assistance provided by North Korea to Russia.
According to Ukrainian and Western assessments, approximately 11,000 North Korean troops are deployed in the Kursk region, with Ukrainian forces having occupied several hundred square kilometers following a cross-border incursion in August last year. The conflict has resulted in significant casualties, with Ukraine estimating over 3,000 North Korean soldiers killed or wounded, and the US official reporting several hundred casualties since October.
South Korean lawmaker Lee Seong-kweun, briefed by the National Intelligence Service, stated that around 300 North Korean soldiers sent to Russia have died, with 2,700 injured. Ukrainian officials have accused Russia of attempting to conceal the involvement of North Korean soldiers in the conflict.
