"North Korean Soldiers Threatened with Family Executions if Captured in Ukraine War"

A former sergeant from North Korea has provided troubling accounts regarding the fate of North Korean troops who have been sent to fight alongside Russian forces in Ukraine. According to him, soldiers have been explicitly warned that being captured by the enemy could result in dire consequences for their families back home. These punishments reportedly involve imprisonment in political camps or even public execution as an example to others. As a consequence of this harsh reality, very few North Korean soldiers have permitted themselves to be captured alive, resorting instead to suicide out of fear and shame.

The testimony was corroborated by South Korean intelligence, which confirmed that North Korean military leadership explicitly ordered their troops to commit suicide before allowing enemy captures. The situation gained more international attention when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the first capture of two living North Korean soldiers in January, marking a rare instance where Pyongyang's soldiers were taken alive during this conflict.

One captive, captured on video, reportedly stated he preferred remaining in Ukraine rather than returning to North Korea, and expressed ignorance about directly participating in a war against Ukraine. South Korean intelligence sources indicated these prisoners were actually affiliated with Pyongyang's intelligence service.

The North Korean presence in Ukraine has been considerable. North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Un, deployed approximately 11,000 soldiers to join Russian forces in late 2024 amid mounting casualties for Russian troops. Despite suffering heavy losses and initial reports suggesting withdrawal, South Korea's spy agency noted a continued influx of North Korean reinforcements into Russia's Kursk region.

Ukrainian reports from early 2025 estimated more than 3,000 North Korean casualties, attributing them largely to inexperience with modern warfare technologies—in particular, the ineffective targeting of long-range drones.

Currently, the Russia-Ukraine war has entered its fourth tumultuous year. Recent attempts to initiate peace negotiations faced further complications after an acrimonious meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukraine’s Zelenskyy. Following this contentious interaction, Trump dramatically halted military aid to Ukraine, creating uncertainty and raising concerns about Ukraine's capacity to withstand Russia's ongoing aggression.