Amid claims that there are quite a few communication problems between the North Korean and Russian troops in Russia, a Russian soldier was captured expressing his difficulties while studying Korean.
A video posted on the Telegram account of a pro-Ukraine group on the 28th (local time) showed a soldier, believed to be a Russian soldier, studying Korean while holding a paper and pen. On the left side of the paper, basic Korean expressions such as ‘Hello,’ ‘Nice to meet you,’ and ‘What’s going on?’ are written, in the middle, Korean sentences are transliterated into Russian so that Russians can read them, and on the right, there is a Russian interpretation.
When the man filming the video approached the soldier, who was studying while sitting on the dirt floor, and asked, “How is your study going?”, the soldier swore, “Damn you!” The photographer asked again, “What’s going on?” and the soldier smiled and replied, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” He then pointed to the part that said ‘Where are you from?’ and said, “I don’t understand. “I really don’t know,” he cursed again.
The group explained that the video was filmed in the Kursk region, a border area in southwestern Russia. Kursk is a battleground on the Russian mainland partially occupied by the Ukrainian army, and is where some North Korean troops dispatched to Russia are gathering. The channel manager who uploaded the video told American media Radio Free Asia (RFA), “The original source of the video is the Russian military Telegram channel, and it cannot be made public because it is a means of obtaining information.”
On the same day, a photo of a ‘Basic Military Terminology’ booklet written in Korean and Russian was posted on social media X (formerly Twitter). The cover of the booklet depicts the Russian flag and the North Korean national flag, and underneath it is written, ‘Soldiers and officers should learn the following Korean phrases for effective communication on the battlefield.’ In the booklet, in addition to basic conversation skills, ‘Get down!’ ‘Attack!’ ‘Put your weapons down!’ It also contains expressions used on the battlefield.
The National Intelligence Service announced at a National Assembly Intelligence Committee briefing the previous day that it believes Russian and North Korean soldiers are having difficulty communicating verbally. The National Intelligence Service said, “The Russian military is teaching the North Korean military about 100 Russian military terms, such as ‘position’ and ‘launch,’” and added, “There are rumors that the North Korean military finds it difficult, so it is assumed that the resolution of the communication problem is unclear.” revealed. Previously, the U.S. CNN, citing Ukrainian intelligence officials, reported that Russian troops called the dispatched North Korean troops “damn Chinese people.”
Kim So-young, Donga.com reporter sykim41@donga.com
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### Summary of the Incident
This report highlights the communication challenges experienced by Russian and North Korean troops collaborating in combat operations. A recent video surfaced showing a Russian soldier struggling with Korean language basics, accentuating the difficulties faced in their joint military activities. The situation is further emphasized by the usage of a bilingual military terminology booklet designed to aid communication, although reports indicate that effective exchanges between the forces remain problematic.
The information also references a National Intelligence Service briefing, discussing the training efforts initiated by the Russian military to teach North Korean soldiers critical Russian military terms, highlighting ongoing tension and misunderstandings within these allied forces on the battlefield.
### Contextual Significance
These interactions illuminate the complexities of military cooperation among nations with stark linguistic and cultural differences, suggesting deeper implications for operational efficacy in their joint military endeavors. Additionally, the derogatory remarks by Russian troops regarding their North Korean counterparts hint at potential tensions and lack of respect within the alliance.