A North Korean soldier has been captured by Ukrainian forces after being sent over to support Russia in the war.
South Korea’s spy agency confirmed the capture on Friday after a photo showing the wounded soldier circulated on Telegram.
The soldier is believed to be the first North Korean prisoner of war since forces were deployed to help Russia in their fight with Ukraine.
More than 10,000 troopers were sent, according to Kyiv and Seoul, although their presence has not been confirmed or denied by Moscow and Pyongyang.
Research fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, Yang Uk, told the BBC: “This is the first in a string of captures and killings.
“For Ukrainians, it’s more beneficial to capture these North Korean troops and try to exchange them with Russians for Ukrainian prisoners of war. »
Mr Yang added that « North Korean troops will be deployed in large numbers to the assault by Russian command, » however, « it will be challenging to prove their North Korean nationality ».
North Korean soldiers have allegedly been issued fake Russian IDs, according to Ukrainian forces. Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posted a video which he said showed the Russian soldiers burning the faces of North Koreans to hide their identities.
In a statement on X on December 16, Mr Zekensky said: “Russia not only sends the North Korean troops to storm Ukrainian positions, but also tries to conceal losses of these people.
“They tried to hide the presence of North Korean soldiers. It was prohibited to show their faces during training. The Russians attempted to erase any video evidence of their presence.
“And now, after first combats with our warriors, Russians are trying…to literally burn the faces of North Korean soldiers killed in battle.”
On Monday, Mr Zelenksy said that over 3,000 North Korean troops have either died or been wounded while fighting in Russia’s Kursk region. The recent deployment of North Korean soldiers signifies the growing partnership between the two countries.
According to reports from Ukrainian and South Korean Intelligence services, many of the soldiers sent over are some of Pyongyang’s best. They were drawn from the 11 Corps which is trained in infiltration, infrastructure and assinations.
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