A captured North Korean soldier, taken prisoner during fighting with Ukrainian forces, described the intense military training in North Korea, saying soldiers must “run 80 kilometers (about 50 miles) in eight hours while carrying a backpack.” He added, “It’s so grueling that it makes you want to cry.”
Rep. Yoo Yong-won of the ruling People Power Party, who recently visited Ukraine, played an audio recording of the soldier’s testimony during an interview with CBS radio’s Kim Hyun-jung’s News Show on Tuesday.
In the recording, the soldier, identified only as Baek, 21, from North Korea’s Reconnaissance General Bureau, said, “We learn all sorts of things, but the most important part is physical training.” He continued, “Running several kilometers while carrying weight is just a warm-up. The intensity is so extreme that it brings tears to your eyes.”
Baek detailed the rigorous regime, saying, “We run 40 kilometers (about 25 miles) a week and, on the last day of each month, we run 80 kilometers (about 50 miles). The 40-kilometer run takes four hours, while the 80-kilometer one takes eight hours. The backpack weighs between 20 and 25 kilograms (44 to 55 pounds).”
Yoo noted that while S. Korea’s special forces undergo intense training, North Korean soldiers appear to endure even harsher conditions. “It didn’t seem like an exaggeration,” he said.
Regarding the low number of captured North Korean soldiers, Yoo explained, “I was told many injured North Korean troops choose to take their own lives rather than be captured.” He added, “They are indoctrinated from a young age to believe that becoming a prisoner is a betrayal of their country, and this belief seems deeply ingrained.”
A senior commander from Ukraine’s special forces told Yoo that North Korean soldiers “don’t seem to know fear,” Yoo said. Yoo cited casualty figures to illustrate their determination. “Out of the 12,000 North Korean troops deployed, around 4,000 have been killed or wounded—a casualty rate of over 30%,” he said.
“At that level, soldiers normally experience fear, especially after seeing their comrades die or suffer injuries. But the North Koreans just keep charging forward, fighting, and even choosing to self-destruct. Ukrainian officers have said, ‘We just don’t understand these soldiers.’”
According to S. Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS), North Korea has recently deployed additional troops to Ukraine.
Yoo stated that around 1,500 North Korean troops are currently engaged in combat. “We’ve heard that some 4,000 North Korean soldiers have been killed or wounded,” he said. “As a result, additional deployments are being made to replenish their numbers, and more units are reportedly being prepared, according to Ukrainian authorities.”
On casualty estimates, Yoo said, “The NIS has put the number between 3,600 and 4,000, while Ukraine’s military intelligence agency reported a figure of around 4,000.” He added, “It appears that about 10% of them were killed in action.”
