North Korean troops choose death over capture: military expert explains why

Military expert Oleksandr Kovalenko stated this on his Telegram channel.

For over two months, North Korean military units have been actively participating in combat in Kursk region, suffering heavy losses with over 4,000 casualties. However, only two soldiers have been taken as prisoners of war.

According to the expert, this phenomenon can be attributed to the iron discipline instilled in North Korean forces. 

Soldiers are highly motivated, deeply committed to their duties, and possess strong psychological resilience. Surrender is seen as an ultimate disgrace—a belief so ingrained that soldiers who are wounded and cannot be evacuated often choose suicide over capture, or are even killed by their comrades to avoid dishonor.

This strict adherence to ideology and discipline makes surrender an unthinkable option for most North Korean troops.

• On January 11, reports emerged that Ukrainian Defense Forces had captured two wounded North Korean soldiers during combat in Russia's Kursk region. The prisoners were transported to Kyiv, where they are being interviewed by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has indicated a willingness to exchange these North Korean prisoners for Ukrainian soldiers held by Russia. He emphasized the significance of such exchanges in ongoing diplomatic efforts. 
• South Korea has expressed its readiness to repatriate North Korean soldiers captured by Ukrainian forces, should they request asylum. 

• Captured Russian soldiers have reported that North Korean military personnel receive better training and equipment compared to Russian contract soldiers for combat operations in the Kursk region.