“I will follow the orders of Comrade Supreme Commander, even if it means sacrificing my life.”
Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces released for the third time on the 28th (local time) the memo of a North Korean soldier believed to be ‘Jeong Gyeong-hong’ who died in the Kursk region of Russia. This memo is believed to be Jeong Gyeong-hong’s diary. The special operations force interpreted that Jeong Kyung-hong had the opportunity to be promoted to chief sergeant, but appears to have been demoted after committing a specific crime. Some analysts say that some of the North Korean soldiers dispatched to Russia are criminals who were promised pardons or reduced sentences upon their return. It has also been claimed that North Korean soldiers deployed to the North are choosing to commit suicide instead of surrender if they are taken prisoner, out of fear of retaliation against their families in the North.
Meanwhile, there is an analysis that the Ukrainian army lost about half of the Kursk-occupied territory as Russia’s offensive in Kursk Oblast intensified following the dispatch of North Korean troops to Russia. There is also strength in the prospect that Russia will regain the rest of the territory by spring.
●“North Korean soldiers dispatched to Russia executed each other for fear of being taken prisoner”
Summarizing the announcement and memo from the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces that day, the memo begins with the following: “I grew up in the arms of a gracious king, learning to my heart’s content without any difficulties in the world.” Jeong Gyeong-hong then said, “Defending the fatherland is the sacred duty of a citizen, and all my happiness comes from having a fatherland, so I wore the uniform of the revolution to protect the great commander-in-chief.” The term Supreme Commander is interpreted to refer to North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-un.
Jeong Gyeong-hong said, “I was given the blessing of an opportunity to be promoted to chief sergeant, but I committed an ungrateful act of abandoning the love and benevolence of the party and abandoning my comrade, the Supreme Commander.” He said, “The party has opened a path of rebirth for me to make a fresh start in life. I will run at the front of the ranks during this operation, and I will unconditionally follow the orders of Comrade Supreme Commander, even if it means sacrificing my life.” added.
He continued, “We will show the world the bravery and sacrifice of Kim Jong-un’s red commandos. He ended the memo by saying, “When I win this battle and return to my homeland, I will petition the Mother Party.” The Special Operations Forces speculated, “Jeong Kyung-hong was dispatched to Russia due to some mistake.”
In fact, North Korean soldiers deployed to Russia appear to be afraid that their families will be in danger due to the crimes they have committed. John Kirby, White House National Security Communications Advisor, said on the 27th, “There are reports that North Korean soldiers committed suicide rather than surrender to Ukrainian forces,” and added, “It is highly likely that they were afraid of retaliation against their families if they were caught.” According to Advisor Kirby, the United States estimates that there have been about 1,000 casualties among North Korean soldiers dispatched to Russia in the past week.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy also reported that North Korean troops are being driven to their deaths. “Those in charge in Russia and North Korea are not at all interested in the survival of their soldiers,” he said. “Everything is done in a way to prevent the North Korean military from being caught by us.” He also claimed, “North Korean soldiers are executing each other to avoid being taken prisoner.”
●Russia loses half of Ukraine’s occupied territory in Kursk offensive
Meanwhile, there is also an analysis that Russia’s offensive in Kursk Oblast, strengthened by the addition of North Korean troops, is achieving some results. According to Bloomberg News and the Associated Press, U.S. government officials reported that Ukraine has lost about half of the occupied Kursk territory. It was also predicted that Ukraine could lose all occupied territory by spring.
Voices of dissatisfaction are growing even within the Ukrainian military. Some Kursk Oblast commanders told the Associated Press that “the current situation is difficult, morale is falling, and questions are even being raised about the occupation of Kursk itself.” A platoon leader said, “Superiors are repeatedly rejecting requests to change the unit’s defensive line location,” and “Soldiers who hold out until the end end up disappearing.”
There were also predictions that North Korea could send 8,000 additional troops to Russia. One U.S. official said, “North Korea could send an additional 8,000 soldiers by spring.” However, Bloomberg News reported that this analysis was known to be unreliable.
As Russia’s offensive becomes more harsh, some predict that Ukraine will lose its negotiating power in future ceasefire negotiations. Bloomberg News said, “Because Russia currently has the upper hand on the battlefield, it is likely that it will delay talks in order to regain as much territory as possible before negotiating a ceasefire.”
Reporter Lee Ki-wook [email protected]
Reporter Lee Ji-yoon [email protected]
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