Video of North Korean Troops Deployed to Russia Released: Singing Russian Songs and Red Pepper Powder on the Table

Descendant of Koryoin, Russian Journalist Covers North Korean Troops
Modern Military Training with Firearms and Drones

A video showing North Korean soldiers deployed to Kursk, a border area in southwestern Russia, training with firearms and drones, as well as their daily life in their dormitories, has been released.

On May 3, Yonhap News reported on footage posted by Russian state broadcaster journalist Marina Kim on her Telegram channel on April 30 (local time), covering the North Korean troops deployed to Kursk. Marina Kim, a descendant of Koryoin, introduced the North Korean soldiers by saying, "They are very young. They appear to be around 23 to 27 years old and have come physically prepared."

Red pepper powder placed on the dining table in the North Korean soldiers' dormitory restaurant in Kursk, Russia. Photo by Marina Kim, Telegram capture, Yonhap News

The North Korean soldiers trained with firearms and drones in trenches and forests. Marina Kim explained, "In actual combat, they do not move in such large groups," adding, "Most of the time, they operate in small tactical teams of two to four people." She further stated, "The area where the North Korean soldiers need to adapt the most is modern warfare elements such as drones," and added, "They have now become fully accustomed to these tactics. This will allow the North Korean military to surpass other Asian armies in the future."

She also revealed in the video a note on which a Russian instructor had written about ten commands in Cyrillic script as they sound phonetically, in order to communicate with the North Korean soldiers. The note included phrases such as 'Hello,' 'Forward,' 'Look,' 'Do as I do,' 'Missile alert,' 'Enemy spotted,' and 'Well done.'

The video also showed the dormitories and dining hall used by the North Korean soldiers. In the dormitory, there was a paper with the phrase "Avenge our fallen comrades" written on it. In front of the dining hall, a sign indicated "Breakfast 6:00-9:00, Lunch 13:00-16:00, Dinner 19:00-22:00," and the menu was Russian-style. Notably, a plate filled with red pepper powder was placed on the dining table.

One North Korean soldier said, "We eat well and live well here. Although we do not have mobile phones, we are provided with tablets and smartphones without SIM cards, so we can download and read books and watch military films." A scene of a North Korean soldier singing a Russian song was also notable. He sang the Russian song "Katyusha," translating the lyrics into Korean as, "Apple and pear blossoms bloom in abundance, mist rises over the river, Katyusha comes out to the riverbank."

Meanwhile, on April 30, the National Intelligence Service announced that among the North Korean soldiers deployed to Russia, there have been approximately 4,700 casualties, including around 600 deaths. North Korea has sent a total of 15,000 troops to Russia in two deployments. After Russian forces recaptured most of the Kursk region previously entered by Ukrainian forces, the intensity of fighting has decreased.