Some 600 North Korean soldiers were killed by fighting alongside the Russian forces in their war against Ukraine, a South Korean deputy said on Wednesday. In total, 18,000 North Korean soldiers were deployed in Russia.
“Until now, the losses of the North Korean troops have been estimated at around 4,700, including around 600 dead,” said Lee Seong-Kweun, a member of the Parliamentary Intelligence Commission, after a meeting with the South Korean secret services.
About 2,000 injured soldiers were repatriated to North Korea, between January and March, by air and rail. They would be placed in isolation in Pyongyang and in other regions of the country, continued Mr. Lee. As for the dead, their bodies were cremated in Russia and their ashes repatriated to North Korea, according to him.
“North Korea supported Koursk’s resumption by Russia by deploying 18,000 soldiers in two phases,” said the deputy. According to him, “the possibility of a third phase cannot be completely excluded”, even if Pyongyang has not yet given any signs suggesting the sending of new troops to Russia.
