A fragment of a note written by a North Korean soldier who died while deployed in Russia’s war against Ukraine suggests that Pyongyang may have sent convicts to support Russia.
Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces revealed a memo allegedly written by a soldier identified as Jung Kyung-hong via Telegram on Dec. 28. Jung was killed during battle in the Kursk region of Russia.
“I was blessed with the opportunity to be promoted to platoon master sergeant, but I betrayed the party and was ungrateful to the supreme commander,” he wrote in the memo. “The crime I committed cannot be forgiven, but the motherland has given me a new chance in life.”
“If I return to my homeland after winning this war, I will petition my mother’s party,” he added. The exact nature of his intended petition was not clarified.
The content suggests that some North Korean soldiers sent to Russia may be former criminals who were promised reduced sentences or a clean slate upon their return. Ukrainian military officials speculate that Jeong may have been demoted as punishment for past misconduct despite his prior promotion opportunity and sent to Russia.
Possibly driven by the hope of redemption, Jeong vowed in the memo, “In this operation, I will run to the front of the line and unconditionally follow the orders of the Supreme Commander Comrade Kim Jong-un even at the cost of my life.” He pledged to “show the world the undefeated bravery and sacrifice of Kim Jong-un’s special forces.”
The Ukrainian military also disclosed that additional notes were recovered from Jeong’s body and promised to release the translations in the coming days.
