The soldier was reportedly killed by Ukrainian forces fighting in Kursk
A letter that Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces said they had found on the body of a North Korean soldier in Kursk.
“To my comrade spending his birthday in Russia, a land far from our beloved Korea, deprived of his family’s embrace.”A Ukrainian special military unit published on Tuesday a hand-written letter it said was found on the body of a North Korean soldier killed in action while fighting for Russia in its war with Ukraine.Ukraine’s Special Operation Forces (SOF) uploaded to Telegram the contents of a diary allegedly belonging to a North Korean soldier killed by Ukrainian troops after being deployed to Russia’s Kursk region.Including the phrase “beloved Korea” — written as “Choson,” as North Koreans refer to their homeland — the letter reads, “I wish my closest comrade in combat, Song Ji-myung, the happiest birthday while also praying for your good health.”These birthday wishes are dated Dec. 9. The Ukrainian military has identified the soldier as “Jong Gyung-hong,” the name written on his passport.While relaying the contents of Jong’s notebook, the SOF issued a warning to the deployed North Korean troops, saying, “When you want to wish your friend a happy birthday, but instead of a party, you're holding an AK in a trench far from home — and the candles are replaced with 5.56mm Ukrainian rounds.”Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported on Monday that the North Korean troops have suffered over 3,000 casualties. The US estimates that around 11,000 North Korean soldiers have been deployed to the Kursk region.By Choi Woo-ri, staff reporterPlease direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]
