Ukraine: "Kursk North Korean Troops Temporarily Withdraw from Frontline"

Presumed to Be Awaiting Reinforcements

It has been reported that some North Korean troops deployed by Russia temporarily retreated from the front lines.

Some North Korean troops deployed in Russia have temporarily retreated from the front line. Ukraine Special Operations Forces (SOF) social media

On the 28th, the US-based Radio Free Asia (RFA) cited Oleksandr Kindradenko, spokesperson for Ukraine's Special Operations Forces, who told the Ukrainian media outlet Kyiv Independent that some North Korean troops had temporarily withdrawn from the front lines. Kindradenko explained that the retreating North Korean forces were those who had participated in battles in the Kursk region, where Ukraine's 73rd Naval Special Operations Center is deployed.

Earlier, a commander of a unit belonging to the 1st Combat Diving Battalion reflected that the highly indoctrinated North Korean troops continued their offensive despite heavy losses and made the mistake of moving on foot in large numbers, similar to World War II, failing to recognize threats from drones and artillery. It is presumed that the North Korean troops belonging to the elite Storm Corps were deployed to the battlefield without receiving adequate training suited for modern warfare or sufficient firepower and equipment support from the Russian military.

Another Ukrainian media outlet, Evocation Info, analyzed that the North Korean forces appear to be recovering at their garrison and awaiting reinforcements expected around mid-March. However, a US Department of Defense official told RFA that Russian forces have currently recaptured about 50% of the Kursk region, and at present, there are no signs of additional North Korean troop deployments.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth Salm?n, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in North Korea, criticized on the 9th the exposure of photos and videos of two North Korean soldiers captured by Ukrainian forces on TV and social media, stating that it "raises serious concerns under international humanitarian law." Salm?n emphasized, "According to Article 13, Paragraph 2 of the Third Geneva Convention, prisoners of war must be protected from violence, threats, insults, and acts that arouse public curiosity," adding, "Protection from public curiosity is especially important because the mere disclosure of a prisoner's identity is inherently humiliating to prisoners of war."

Salm?n also added, "These prisoners face serious human rights violations if repatriated to North Korea," and urged, "The (Ukrainian) authorities must comply with the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits the return of individuals to countries where they may face persecution or torture."