North Korean soldier captured by Ukrainian forces, spy agency confirms

By Kim Joo-heon Posted : December 27, 2024, 14:47 Updated : December 27, 2024, 14:47
An alleged North Korean soldier is seen, in this grab released by Ukraine's Special Operations Forces (SOF) on Telegram.
SEOUL, December 27 (AJP) - A North Korean soldier allegedly deployed to Russia to support its war in Ukraine has been captured by Ukrainian forces, South Korea's spy agency confirmed on Friday.

"Through real-time information sharing with allied intelligence agencies, we have verified that one injured North Korean soldier has been captured," said National Intelligence Service (NIS) in a statement. "We will closely monitor further developments."

The first confirmation of the capture of a North Korean soldier came just a couple of days after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that more than 3,000 North Korean soldiers had been killed or wounded.

The Ukrainian military outlet Militarnyi also revealed it the previous day. Sharing a photo of the captured soldier via Telegram, Ukrainian Special Operations Forces (SOF) said it is highly likely that the Ukrainian Defense Forces have captured the North Korean soldier during an operation in Kursk, a Russian territory currently occupied by Ukraine.

North Korea has reportedly deployed over 10,000 soldiers to Russia, and they have increasingly been sent to the frontlines.

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