North Korean Soldier Captured By Ukraine Died: South Korea (X image @KimJongUnArabic)

Seoul, South Korea: A North Korean soldier, who was captured by Ukraine while fighting for Russia, died under captivity, according to South Korea’s intelligence agency. Earlier, on Friday, Seoul’s spy, South Korean National Intelligence Service, said that an injured North Korean soldier had been captured by Ukrainian forces. He was believed to be the first one to be captured by the Ukrainian force after Pyongyang sent troop to Bolster Russian military against Kyiv.

In a statement released, the spy agency said, “Through real-time information sharing with an allied country’s intelligence agency, it has been confirmed that one injured North Korean soldier has been captured”. The statement also added that the soldier who was captured alive in Ukraine died due to his injuries.

Seoul’s Yonhap news agency reported that a photograph of the North Korean soldier, who looked gaunt, and appeared to have been injured, has been circulating through Telegram messaging app. The report emerged after Militarnyi, a Ukrainian outlet reported of capturing a North Korean soldier in the Kursk region of Russia. The region has been captured by the Ukrainian force.

Also Read: Kim Jong Un Orders Mass Production Of Suicide Drones: Report

However, the report did not specified when the incident happen. Official confirmations from North Korean or Ukraine on the matte rare also not cited by the outlet.

The outlet did not say when the incident had taken place, and there has been no confirmation from officials in Ukraine or North Korea, where the state media have not referred to the deployment of the country’s troops. Militarnyi said that, if confirmed, the soldier would be the first North Korean combatant to have been taken by Ukrainian forces.

Reportedly, over 11,000 troops from Pyongyang have been deployed to aid Russia. The reports started emerging months after the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, and the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, signed a mutual defence treaty that committed each country to come to the other’s aid if attacked.

For year, North Korea has isolated itself. While newly sparked relation with Russia might help the country gain valuable battlefield experiences, its poorly trained soldiers, fighting in unfamiliar territory, have quickly been exposed to the dangers of combat.

Also Read: North Korea Ratifies Mutual Defence Treaty With Russia

Kyiv’s military intelligence agency, known as the GUR, on Thursday said that North Korean troops were suffering heavy losses in the fighting in Kursk. It said the troops are facing logistical difficulties as a result of Ukrainian attacks. The agency also added that Ukrainian strikes near Novoivanovka had inflicted heavy casualties on North Korean units, and that North Korean troops also faced supply issues, including shortages of drinking water.

Vladimir Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, claimed that more than 3,000 North Korean troops had been killed or wounded in the Kursk region. It was the first significant estimate by Ukraine of North Korean casualties.

The deployment of North Korean soldiers marked a dramatic escalation in the war, which began almost three years ago, as the Kremlin turned to its ally to boost its forces. It was also seen as an attempt by Putin to broaden the conflict through the direct involvement in fighting of a third country.