Seoul says 300 North Korean soldiers killed, 2,700 wounded fighting Ukraine

A South Korean legislator claimed that 300 North Korean soldiers were killed fighting in Ukraine’s conflict with Russia.

Added to the 300 deaths are about “2, 700 injuries”, Lee Seong-kweun told reporters on Monday, after a briefing from Seoul’s National Intelligence Service (NIS).

According to Lee, “The Kursk region has reportedly seen increased as a result of North Korean troops’ deployment to Russia,” with estimates indicating more casualties than 3,000 have been reported.

The legislator added that the North Korean soldiers’ lack of understanding of modern warfare is being used by Russia in a way that contributes to “the high number of casualties” according to the NIS analysis.

The South Korean politician’s statement comes a day after Kyiv’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, claimed the country had taken two North Korean soldiers and released a video of the injured fighters being interrogated.

Zelenskyy said Kyiv is “ready to hand over” the captured North Korean soldiers&nbsp, in exchange for Ukrainian prisoners of war held in Russia.

In exchange for Russian technical assistance for Pyongyang’s heavily regulated weapons and satellite programs, Seoul has previously claimed that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has provided more than 10,000 soldiers as “cannon fodder” to Moscow in exchange for Kim Jong Un’s heavily sanctioned weapons and satellites.

Russia has not yet confirmed or refuted their presence.

No desire to defect

According to two legislators who were present on Monday’s briefing, the NIS claimed that the two captured soldiers had not requested a change of address or to relocate to South Korea.

If the soldiers eventually ask to travel to South Korea, the organization stated that it would talk with Ukrainian authorities about the situation.

Since the late 1990s, about 34, 000 North Koreans have deposed to South Korea to avoid domestic political repression and hardship.

Koo Byoungsam, spokesperson of South Korea’s Ministry of Unification that handles inter-Korean affairs, said facilitating the asylum of the North Korean soldiers would require “legal reviews, including on international law, and consultations with related nations”.

“There’s nothing we can say at the current stage”, Koo said.

Moreover, the soldiers, reportedly from North Korea’s elite Storm Corps, have been ordered to kill themselves rather than be taken prisoner, Lee said.

Notably, he said, “Notably, memos found on dead soldiers indicate that the North Korean authorities pressured them to kill themselves or self-detonate before being captured.”

He added that some of the soldiers had been granted “amnesty” or wanted to join North Korea’s governing Workers ‘ Party, hoping to improve their lot by fighting.