Two North Korean soldiers captured by Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region have stated that they were not informed about the war in which they were sent to fight. This was reported by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), which was the first Western media outlet to speak with them.
According to the publication, the soldiers were sent to Russia with minimal information, and before their departure they were told that they would fight against South Korean troops who were helping Ukraine.
"I didn't know I was going to Russia", says 21-year-old soldier Peck, who was drafted into North Korea's special forces at the age of 17. "I only realized this after we arrived."
The other prisoner of war, 26-year-old Ri, confirms that upon arrival in the Far East they were given a Russian military uniform and documents. They were unaware of the true situation, and instead were convinced that South Korea had sent troops to Ukraine and that it was against them that they would fight.
South Korean intelligence reported that in early February, North Korea had sent reinforcements to the Kursk region, where its military contingent fought on the side of Russia and suffered serious losses.
This statement by the National Intelligence Service of the Republic of Korea was reported by the Korean press. The size of the reinforcements was not specified.
Earlier, the South Korean publication JoongAng reported, citing anonymous sources, that up to 3,000 North Korean servicemen were transferred to Russia in January and February.
According to statements by the Ukrainian military and South Korean intelligence, the North Korean contingent of about 11,000 people suffered serious losses in the Kursk region - up to four thousand killed and wounded - and was withdrawn from the front line in mid-January, but about three weeks later, Korean units reappeared on the front line.