Russia accused of burning faces of dead North Korean soldiers to hide identities

With the U.S. and South Korean governments officially confirming North Korean soldiers’ involvement in the Ukraine war, reports have emerged from Ukraine claiming that Russia is setting fire to the faces of their bodies to conceal their identities.

South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) confirmed on December 17 that it has received intelligence from multiple sources regarding casualties among North Korean soldiers deployed to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, following a U.S. government announcement. The NIS is currently verifying the information, considering the possibility of its accuracy.

On December 16, Pentagon spokesperson Patrick Ryder stated in a briefing, “North Korean soldiers have engaged in combat in Kursk with Russians, alongside Russian forces. We do have indications that they have suffered casualties: both killed and wounded.” This is the first official confirmation from U.S. authorities regarding North Korean soldiers’ engagement in combat and casualties.

John Kirby, the National Security Council’s Coordinator for Strategic Communications, also commented during a briefing on the same day, “Over the past few days, we have seen these North Korean soldiers move from the second lines on the battlefield to the front lines on the battlefield and to be actively engaged in combat operations.”

He added, “We do believe that they have suffered some significant losses, killed and wounded. I would say certainly in the REALM of dozens, several dozens and we’re just now starting to see this movement of them from the second line to the front line.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky released a video on December 17, claiming that Russia is burning the faces of North Korean soldiers to conceal their identities. The video, posted on Zelensky’s Telegram channel, shows what is believed to be a body partially set on fire, with people standing nearby. The video includes English subtitles that read, “Russians try to conceal the faces of North Korean soldiers even after their death.”

According to Ukrainian media RBC, Zelensky stated that Russia is attempting to cover up not only the deployment of North Korean forces in the assault on Ukraine’s defensive lines but also the casualties among these forces. He emphasized, “While they were being trained, they were even prohibited from showing their faces.”

“The Russians are also trying… literally to burn the faces of the killed North Korean soldiers. This is a display of the contempt that prevails in Russia right now – contempt for everything humane,” Zelensky emphasized.

He further condemned this as an example of the widespread dehumanization in Russia, asserting, “This must end through holding Russia accountable and securing a reliable and sustainable peace.”

It is reported that North Korea sent around 10,000 soldiers to assist Russia in its invasion of Ukraine. Kursk, a region in Russia that faced a Ukrainian counterattack in August, has been struggling with recapture efforts, and it is known that North Korean troops have been concentrated in this area.

BY YOUNGNAM KIM [kim.youngnam@koreadaily.com]