North Korean soldiers in Russia: Unexpected presence shocks defector

In 2016, Thae Jong Ho, along with his family, decided to flee the North Korean diplomatic mission in London and then found asylum in South Korea. At the time of his departure, he was the highest-ranking diplomat to break free from Kim Jong Un's regime.

Currently, according to reports from Ukrainian intelligence, about 11,000 North Korean soldiers are present in the Kursk region of Russia. In an interview with a journalist from Radio Free Asia, Thae Jong Ho was asked about his impressions when he first saw footage showing Kim Jong Un’s soldiers in Russia. In his opinion, they seemed "very miserable compared to the Russian soldiers."

They looked very undernourished, very hungry. However, many intelligence agencies worldwide have confirmed that North Korean military personnel are in Ukraine. I was in shock because I was taught in North Korea that North Korean soldiers would never fight in the interest of other countries," he said in an interview with Radio Free Asia.

Thae Jong Ho pointed out that the presence of North Korean soldiers in Russia is strictly secret in North Korea. As he noted, "it is possible that even the parents of these soldiers have no idea that their sons were sent there by the regime." He indicated the deep isolation in which North Korean families live, making the lack of information about military actions the norm.

All North Korean diplomats might initially be surprised by this move. Secondly, they will be somewhat angry because these soldiers are sent to Ukraine to sacrifice their young lives just for Kim Jong Un’s regime," added Thae Jong Ho.

The diplomat awaits with uncertainty to see what the consequences will be of sending North Korean soldiers to fight in Ukraine. He wonders whether they will fight effectively or if Kim Jong Un's policy aimed at supporting Russia will turn out to be a failure. Thae Jong Ho emphasized that the coming weeks and months might determine this.