North Korean troops in Russia not to be underestimated, ex-soldiers tell BBC

What Haneul remembers most about his time within the North Korean army is the gnawing, steady starvation. He misplaced 10kg in his first month of service, on account of a weight loss plan of cracked corn and mouldy cabbage.

Three months into coaching, he says virtually his whole battalion was severely malnourished and wanted to be despatched to a restoration centre to achieve weight.

After they have been later deployed as frontline guards to the border with South Korea, rice changed corn. However by the point it reached their bowls, a lot had been siphoned off by rear models, and the rest had been lower with sand.

Haneul says his unit was among the many best-fed, a tactic to cease them defecting to South Korea. However it failed to forestall Haneul.

In 2012, he made a death-defying sprint throughout the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) – the strip of land dividing the North from the South.

His expertise and that of different army defectors helps make clear the situation of hundreds of North Korean troops deployed to the frontline in Russia’s conflict in opposition to Ukraine.

Pyongyang has reportedly sent around 11,000 troops to assist Russian forces reclaim a part of its Kursk area taken by Ukraine in a shock summer time offensive.

Earlier this week, Seoul, Washington and Kyiv said the troopers had now entered the battle “in important numbers”, and reported the primary casualties, with South Korean officers estimating greater than 100 had already been killed and extra injured. This determine has not been confirmed.

Nevertheless, defectors and different army specialists have instructed the BBC these troops shouldn’t be underestimated.

In accordance with South Korean intelligence, most belong to the elite Storm Corps unit, and have “excessive morale”, however “lack an understanding of up to date warfare”.

Solely the taller, sportier males are chosen for the Storm Corps, says defector Lee Hyun Seung, who educated North Korea’s particular forces within the early 2000s earlier than defecting in 2014.

He taught them martial arts, easy methods to throw knives and make weapons out of cutlery and different kitchen utensils.

However although the Storm Corps’ coaching is extra superior than that of standard North Korean models, the troopers are nonetheless underfed and even malnourished.

On-line movies, reportedly of the troops in Russia, present youthful, “frail” troopers, Haneul says. They’re a stark distinction to Pyongyang’s propaganda movies, the place males are seen bursting out of iron chains and smashing blocks of ice with their naked fingers.

Throughout his whole time within the military, Haneul says he fired solely three bullets in a single live-fire coaching session.

The closest he got here to fight was when a hungry farmer stumbled into the DMZ in search of greens. Haneul says he ignored directions to “shoot any intruders” and let the person go together with a warning.

It’s troublesome to understand how a lot has modified within the decade since Haneul defected, given the shortage of data from North Korea. It seems that the nation’s chief Kim Jong Un has directed a lot of his restricted sources into missiles and nuclear weapons slightly than his standing military.

However in line with one other soldier, Ryu Seonghyun, who defected in 2019, the primary three years within the army are “extremely robust”, even for the particular forces. The 28-year-old, who labored as a driver within the air pressure for seven years, says that in his service, circumstances deteriorated and rice regularly disappeared from meals.

“The troopers are despatched into the mountains for days with a small quantity of rice, and are instructed it’s a part of their survival coaching.”

Given these troops have been educated to battle within the mountainous Korean Peninsula, the defectors query how properly they are going to adapt to preventing on the flatlands and within the trenches of Kursk.

Crucially, the Storm Corps usually are not a frontline unit. “Their mission is to infiltrate enemy strains and create chaos deep inside enemy territory,” Ryu says.

However, he provides, Kim Jong Un has no different to sending particular forces, as common troopers spend most of their time farming, constructing or chopping wooden.

“Kim Jong Un needed to ship males who may display at the very least a sure stage of fight potential, to keep away from damaging North Korea’s fame in Russia.”

The language barrier appears to have created a further hurdle. On Sunday, Ukraine’s defence intelligence unit mentioned communication points had resulted in North Korean troopers by accident firing on a Russian battalion, killing eight.

With these assessments, it could possibly be simple to dismiss the troops as “cannon fodder” and an indication of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s desperation. However that may be a mistake, the defectors say. Their loyalty to the regime and preventing spirit will rely for lots.

“A lot of the troopers within the Storm Corps come from working-class or farming households, who’re extremely obedient to the celebration and can observe orders unquestionably,” says Haneul, whose father and cousin have been within the particular forces.

Intense, ideological “brainwashing” periods, held each morning, will additional guarantee they’re mentally prepared, Lee provides. He believes the North Korean troops “will develop into accustomed to the battlefield, learn to battle the enemy, and discover methods to outlive”.

Though the troopers is not going to have been given a alternative over whether or not to be deployed, Ryu thinks many may have wished to go. The formidable will see it as a chance to advance their careers, he says.

And given how robust it’s to serve in North Korea, some may have relished the possibility to expertise life overseas for the primary time.

“I feel they will be extra prepared to battle than Russian troops,” he provides, admitting that of their scenario, he too would have wished to be despatched.

Chun In-bum, a former commander of South Korea’s particular forces, agrees with the defectors’ value determinations. “Simply because they lack meals and coaching, doesn’t imply they’re incapable. They are going to acclimatise rapidly. We should always not underestimate them.”

Whereas 11,000 troops are unlikely to show the tide of such an attritional conflict – it’s estimated Russia is struggling greater than a thousand casualties a day – specialists and officers imagine this could possibly be simply the primary tranche, with Pyongyang probably capable of ship as much as 60,000 and even 100,000 if they’re rotated.

In these numbers, Mr Chun believes they may find yourself being efficient.

Additionally, Kim Jong Un will be capable to shoulder massive losses with out affecting the steadiness of his regime, the previous troopers say.

“Those that have been despatched will likely be males with out affect or connections – to place it bluntly, those that might be sacrificed with out situation,” Haneul says.

He remembers being shocked to study there have been no youngsters of high-ranking dad and mom in his frontline unit: “That is once I realised we have been expendable.”

He doesn’t anticipate a lot resistance from the households of the deceased, whose sons, he says, will likely be honoured as heroes.

“There are numerous dad and mom who’ve misplaced a baby after sending them to the army,” he provides, recalling his second cousin who died. His aunt acquired a certificates, praising her son for his heroic contribution.

The loyalty of the troopers and their households may blunt Ukrainian and South Korean hopes that many will merely defect as soon as they enter the battle. Kyiv and Seoul have mentioned conducting psychological operations alongside the frontline to encourage the boys to give up.

However it appears they don’t have entry to cellphones. In accordance with Ukrainian intelligence, even Russian troopers’ telephones are seized earlier than they encounter North Korean troops.

So, potential infiltration methods embody broadcasting messages by loudspeakers or utilizing drones to drop leaflets.

Each Ryu and Haneul determined to defect after studying anti-regime propaganda despatched throughout the border from South Korea. However they’re uncertain this could work so removed from house.

They are saying it takes a very long time to construct up the will and braveness to defect.

Moreover, Haneul suspects the officers may have been ordered to shoot anybody who makes an attempt to flee. He remembers his comrades opening fireplace as he made his daring dash throughout the DMZ.

“Twelve bullets flew only a metre over my head,” he says.

Even capturing the North Korean troops could show difficult for Ukraine.

Within the North, being a prisoner of conflict is taken into account extraordinarily shameful and worse than loss of life. As an alternative, troopers are taught to take their very own lives, by capturing themselves or detonating a grenade.

Ryu recollects a well-known army music entitled Save the Final Bullet. “They inform you to save lots of two bullets, one to shoot the enemy and one to shoot your self.”

Nonetheless, the previous particular forces coach Lee is decided to assist. He has provided to go to the frontline to speak immediately with the troopers.

“It is unlikely they are going to defect in giant numbers, however we now have to attempt. Listening to acquainted voices like mine, and others from North Korea, may affect their psychology,” he says.

Haneul simply hopes they get house to North Korea. He is aware of there’s a probability a few of his kin are among the many troops despatched to assist Russia.

“I simply hope they make it by and return safely.”

Further reporting by Jake Kwon and Hosu Lee