At least 100 North Korean soldiers killed in Ukraine war, South Korea says

At least 100 North Korean soldiers deployed to support Russian forces in the Ukraine war have died, according to South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS), with the number of injured reaching up to a thousand.

The NIS revealed the North Korean casualties during a closed-door meeting on Thursday, according to South Korean politician Lee Seong-kwon.

Approximately 11,000 North Korean troops have been stationed in the Kursk region of Russia, a key battleground in the Ukraine-Russia conflict. North Korea and Russia recently signed an agreement, which includes a mutual defense provision.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed on Saturday that North Korean forces had begun participating in assault operations alongside Russian troops. A few days later, Ukraine’s defense intelligence services reported that around 30 North Korean soldiers had been killed or wounded in combat, with three more missing, following clashes in three villages in Kursk.

The high death toll, despite limited combat engagement, was attributed to North Korean troops being used as a frontline assault force in an unfamiliar battlefield environment, according to NIS reports cited by Yonhap. “The North Korean military is being deployed on open terrain, where they are particularly vulnerable to drone attacks, and they lack the capabilities to respond effectively.”

Yonhap also reported that, even before their combat deployment, North Korean forces had suffered casualties due to Ukrainian missile and drone strikes, as well as training accidents. High-ranking officials were among those killed.