Some of the thousands of soldiers who have sent Russia to fight in the front of the war in Ukraine They were relatives of “deserters” and other people with “problems” In North Korea. This is revealed by multiple international media.
According to the media the candidates were mainly selected among the troops belonging to the North Korean assault body, a special forces unit, in October 2023. During the selection process, “Personnel members who had been disciplined by crimes during military service were included, as well as those of complex social origins.”
In this sense, people with “complex social history” refer “to families of deserters who have fled to countries such as South Korea or China.
According to the disseminated information, these relatives “face serious consequences imposed by the State, As an intense surveillance, forced relocation to remote areas, imprisonment in work fields or even public execution. ”
In this way, the North Korean authorities punish these relatives under the principle of guilt by association, considering them responsible for the actions of their relatives who fled the country. “In some cases, Families can face social ostracism and lose access to education and employment“.
“The death warnings of North Korean soldiers who died after being deployed began to surrender to their families in November last year,” says the publication. The transfer of the bodies is made through a railway network between Moscow and Pyongyang. South Korea and Washington estimate that up to 12,000 soldiers have been sent to serve in the Russian region of Kursk.
Volodimir Zelenski has reported that 4,000 of them have died or have been injured during fighting. In addition, the Ukrainian president estimated that between 20,000 and 25,000 additional soldiers could be sent to Russia. Although, “neither Russia nor North Korea has recognized the presence of troops on the battlefield.”
