"May Everyone Return Safely and in Good Health"
"Until the Day We Triumphantly Complete Our Mission"
A letter presumed to have been sent by Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, to North Korean troops deployed in Russia has been revealed.
According to the American daily newspaper The Washington Post (WP) on the 19th (local time), Kim Jong-un sent a New Year's message letter to the deployed North Korean soldiers. In the letter, Kim Jong-un opened by saying, "I do not know what words to choose to encourage and express my gratitude for the comrades' dedication and hard work, which continue with strong battle fire in the new year."
A New Year's letter, presumed to have been sent by Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, to North Korean troops deployed in Russia, has been revealed. Washington Post (WP)
He continued, "Comrades, I truly miss you. Please never forget that I keep praying and praying for all of you to return safely and in good health," and urged, "Until the day we victoriously conclude the assigned military mission, I hope everyone stays healthy and fights with even greater courage." The letter ended with the phrase "Kim Jong-un 12.31."
The letter containing Kim Jong-un's message is reported to have been found recently in the Kursk region, where fierce battles between Ukraine and Russia took place. WP explained, "It could have been sent from Pyongyang to the soldiers, or a commander might have read Kim Jong-un's message aloud and transcribed it."
Earlier, a small notebook obtained last week by Ukrainian special forces from a North Korean soldier contained lyrics of North Korean patriotic songs such as 'Song to the Homeland.' WP reported, "The fact that North Korean soldiers carry this in their pockets while performing their duties shows that they are ideologically much more motivated than the Russian troops." Moreover, many documents detailing combat experience were also confirmed.
Among other North Korean military documents, there was criticism that killing Ukrainian soldiers attempting to surrender provokes the Ukrainian forces and ultimately prolongs the war. Additionally, there were documents pointing out the problem of repeated additional casualties occurring when rescuing wounded comrades on the battlefield.
The image of the North Korean soldier whom Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced was captured on the 11th. The face is mosaicized for personal safety. Zelenskyy Ex
Meanwhile, WP noted that North Korean troops have recently been scarcely seen in Kursk, explaining, "North Korean forces may be reorganizing their ranks and reviewing future movements, or there may be significant casualties and extreme war fatigue." Kursk is a city in western Russia partially occupied by Ukrainian forces after their advance in August last year, where both sides have been engaged in counteroffensives. According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the number of North Korean troops deployed in Russia is 12,000, with estimated casualties around 4,000 as of the 9th of this month.
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