Debt Relief of 130 Million KRW per New Recruit
Rumors of 500 North Korean Soldiers Killed in Action
On the 21st (local time), a Russian military recruitment poster displayed in downtown Moscow. Photo by EPA Yonhap News
The Russian government has announced the implementation of a bill that forgives the personal debts of new recruits participating in the Ukraine war, drawing attention to the background of this decision. Although the deployment of North Korean troops has been realized, the shortage of personnel in key frontline areas is extremely severe, leading to various incentives being offered to encourage recruitment. There are concerns that the deployed forces will be depleted faster than expected, with reports suggesting that over 500 North Korean soldiers deployed to the Ukraine front have already died.
Putin Signs Bill Forgiving New Recruits' Debts... "Up to 10 Million Rubles Forgiven"
On the 23rd (local time), Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a bill that forgives the personal debts of new recruits participating in the Ukraine war. According to the bill, starting from the 1st of next month, new recruits who sign a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense for more than one year and are deployed to the Ukraine front can have up to 10 million rubles (approximately 130 million KRW) of their debt forgiven per person.
However, those who have already enlisted or are re-enlisting are not eligible for the debt forgiveness benefit, and the bill applies only to new recruits for whom debt collection procedures have begun before the bill's enforcement on the 1st of next month. For loans exceeding the debt forgiveness limit, repayment can be extended up to 180 days after enlistment, and the spouses of the applying soldiers are also eligible for the same benefits.
The reason the Russian government is offering debt forgiveness incentives to new recruits is believed to be due to difficulties in recruitment. According to The New York Times (NYT), since July, the Russian government has been running a recruitment campaign targeting Moscow citizens, offering a salary of 5.2 million rubles (about 70 million KRW) for the first year of enlistment, but it failed to meet its target. Since the outbreak of the war in February 2022, the Russian military has conducted recruitment drives three times but is still reportedly short by nearly 200,000 personnel from its target.
It is reported that the number of Russian military casualties is rapidly increasing on key frontlines. There are even reports that over 500 North Korean soldiers recently deployed have died in a single battle, indicating a severe manpower shortage for Russia.
The U.S. military specialist media outlet Global Defense Corporation reported that Ukraine attacked the Russian Kursk frontline area with Storm Shadow cruise missiles supplied by the United Kingdom, resulting in the deaths of 500 North Korean soldiers. The outlet did not provide specific sources for the number of North Korean casualties. However, it is estimated that around 11,000 North Korean troops are deployed in the Kursk area, raising the possibility that some forces gathered in barracks suffered mass casualties.
Even if the mass casualties are not accurate, the likelihood of North Korean troops surviving long-term is expected to be low. The Kursk frontline area is considered the most dangerous among the Ukraine frontlines and is called the "Meat Grinder." It is estimated that more than 1,500 to 1,600 soldiers die daily on major frontlines, so assuming all approximately 10,000 North Korean troops are deployed to the front, total annihilation within 10 to 15 days is highly probable.
Russian military casualties are also estimated to have exceeded 600,000 since the war began in February 2022. At the end of last month, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, attending the North Atlantic Council (NAC) meeting, stated at a press conference, "The deployment of North Korean troops shows Putin's desperation. The Russian military has already suffered over 600,000 casualties in the war," and added, "Without foreign support, it is impossible for Russia to continue its attacks in Ukraine."
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