Ukraine recovers combat instructional documents from killed North Korean soldier

The soldier, who fell while fighting in the Kursk region, was also carrying photos, presumably of his family.

Family photos, presumably taken in August 2024 and March 2023. found with the bodies of North Korean troops killed in the Ukraine-Russia war.
Family photos, presumably taken in August 2024 and March 2023, found with the bodies of North Korean troops killed in the Ukraine-Russia war. (NK Insider)

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The Ukrainian military has recovered combat instructions and personal photos from a North Korean soldier killed in action in Russia’s war with Ukraine, a human rights organization that assisted in translating the documents told Radio Free Asia.

The documents include several directives issued by the North Korean government--but penned by fellow soldiers--on how they should conduct themselves in combat situations like drone attacks, when advancing on enemy positions, and when their comrades are wounded. The photos are believed to show the soldier along with members of his family.

If authentic, the recovered items would represent yet another piece of evidence confirming the presence of North Korean troops in Russia, which Pyongyang and Moscow have not publicly acknowledged. According to estimates from the Pentagon, around 12,000 North Korean soldiers have been deployed to Russia.

Lee Seongmin, the director of the Korea Desk at the New York-based Human Rights Foundation, said in a phone call with RFA Korean on Monday that his organization obtained the documents while assisting Ukrainian Special Forces with translation.

“The documents were written by soldiers on the battlefield and are an important source of information that provides insight into the internal situation of the North Korean military,” said Lee.

One of two photos recovered from the soldier, dated Aug. 14, 2024, shows five people in front of a scenic view of the sea, with text overlay in Korean that says “Making beautiful memories!”

The other photo, dated March 16, 2023, shows a man and a woman, believed to be the soldier’s sister, standing next to each other.

RFA has not independently verified the authenticity of the photos and documents.

‘Strong ideology’

One of the documents, entitled “Combat Experience and Lessons of the 94th Brigade,” compels soldiers to remain resolute in their loyalty to the North Korean state.

“If all front-line soldiers are prepared with strong ideology, conviction, and high combat morale, even enemies equipped with modern weaponry can be defeated through political and ideological superiority, as well as tactical advantage,” it said.


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It also lionized soldiers from the brigade who died in battle, saying they “maintained a high level of mental and combat spirit,” and were “determined to execute the battle orders of the respected Supreme Commander at the cost of our lives,” referring to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Additionally, it said, they advanced on the enemy “like tigers,” an animal considered to be a national symbol in both Koreas, but only officially in the South.

Soldiers were also advised to understand the exact chain of command so that in the event of casualties to key officers, the battle could continue.

Small-scale operations

The instructions also suggested that the soldiers carry out combat operations in small units of two or three soldiers rather than a large force, to lower the effectiveness of enemy artillery fire and drone attacks.

It also advised on how North Korean combatants made themselves vulnerable in their efforts to assist their wounded comrades “resulting in additional casualties.”

“Over 10 such incidents were reported,” it said.

The document also described the difficulties of overcoming a language barrier with Russian forces that has led to more casualties on the battlefield.

Due to the chaos of combat, evacuation points for the wounded were changed. It took 10 hours to evacuate the wounded to hospitals and some died as a result it said.

The ultimate sacrifice

Another document, entitled “Procedure for Task Implementation,” advised the North Korean soldiers not to assist, but to conceal wounded soldiers and continue with their mission.

“During the battle, the wounded shall be handled independently, concealed as much as possible without aid, and the primary unit shall continue to complete its mission,” it said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last month released a video claiming that Russia was burning the faces of North Korean soldiers to hide evidence that they were participating in operations against Ukraine.

Lee said that the documents show that the North Korean military is gaining combat experience, but at the high cost of lost lives.

“Most of them are just told to go out and execute the mission regardless death or injury,” he said. “Because of this code of conduct, the soldiers just have to do it. The authorities are forcing sacrifices to achieve their goals.”

Translated by Claire S. Lee. Edited by Eugene Whong.