Tree Marked with "Haneul" in Korean... The Tragedy of North Korean Soldiers Refusing Surrender or Capture

As testimonies continue to emerge that North Korean soldiers deployed to Russia are attempting self-harm or suicide rather than surrendering or being captured by Ukrainian forces, a scene has been captured showing a soldier, believed to be North Korean, dead beneath a tree with the Korean word "Haneul" ("Sky") written on it. A Ukrainian military specialist channel explained that the North Korean soldier had left a Korean inscription before taking his own life.

Photo released by a Ukrainian military specialist channel. Photo by Yonhap News

According to Yonhap News, on the 5th (local time), the Ukrainian military-focused Telegram channel "Braty po Zbroi" ("Comrades-in-Arms") reported that suicides are becoming systematic among North Korean troops deployed to the Russian Kursk front, and released related photographs.

In the published photo, the word "Haneul" ("Sky") is written in Korean on a tree on the battlefield, with a rope tied to one of its branches. The body of a soldier, presumed to be North Korean, lies beneath the tree.

The channel explained, "In the photo, you can see a marking that means 'Sky'," adding, "(Ukrainian forces) are discovering the bodies of (North Korean) soldiers at specific locations marked with distinctive Korean inscriptions."

The fact that North Korean troops deployed to the battlefield attempt to take their own lives when facing the risk of capture has been confirmed by multiple testimonies, as well as by Ukrainian authorities and the United States.

Ukrainian soldiers who participated in the operation to capture North Korean troops last month also told the Associated Press that a North Korean soldier attempted suicide to avoid being captured.

According to the published testimonies, a North Korean soldier, left behind after injuring his leg, did not initially resist when Ukrainian forces approached to provide first aid. He referred to them as "brothers" and asked for cigarettes and water.

However, once he realized they were Ukrainian soldiers, the North Korean soldier frantically searched his pockets for his grenade.

On the same day, another North Korean soldier captured nearby reportedly attempted self-harm by suddenly running into a concrete pillar and striking his head when a Ukrainian military vehicle arrived to transport him.

At a plenary session of the National Assembly's Intelligence Committee in January, the National Intelligence Service stated that it had determined North Korea had issued orders for its soldiers deployed to the Russian battlefield to "self-destruct before being captured."

There has also been a confirmed case in which a North Korean soldier, facing imminent capture by Ukrainian forces, shouted the name of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, pulled out a grenade, attempted to detonate it, and was shot dead in the process.