Ukrainian forces capture first surviving North Korean soldier in Kursk

South Korean intelligence has confirmed reports of a wounded North Korean soldier being captured by Ukrainian forces in Russia's Kursk region. The news of the capture surfaced on Ukrainian media outlets the previous evening, reports Yonhap News Agency.

The largest South Korean news agency stated on Friday, December 27, that the wounded North Korean soldier had been captured alive.

"Through real-time information sharing with a friendly nation's intelligence organization, we confirmed the capture of a wounded North Korean soldier and plans to thoroughly examine the subsequent development," the National Intelligence Service said in a brief release, as quoted by Yonhap.

On the evening of December 26, reports began circulating online, accompanied by a photograph, suggesting that Ukrainian Special Operations Forces had likely captured the first North Korean soldier sent to fight alongside Russian forces.

This was reported, among others, by the Telegram channel the_warshal18 and the Militarnyi. Accordingto the Telegram channel's posts, this North Korean soldier appeared to have been wounded. However, no detailed information about his condition was provided. "The Special Operations Forces conducted an operation to eliminate the enemy in the Kursk direction. In addition to successfully completing the mission, there were also trophies: prisoners, including a mercenary from Korea, as well as an armored personnel carrier equipped with anti-cumulative protection," stated the Ukrainian media.

It is important to note that prior to this, there had been no reports of North Korean soldiers being captured while assisting Russia in its fight against Ukraine. If confirmed, this would mark the first addition to the "exchange pool" of North Korean soldiers.