Families of North Korean Troops Found in Russia ‘Will Be Executed’

In a shocking revelation, defectors from North Korea are shedding light on the grim fate of Pyongyang’s soldiers fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine.

According to former North Korean military personnel, troops deployed to Russia are under strict orders to avoid capture at all costs—because if they are taken alive, their families back home will face execution.

A Death Sentence for Capture

Ryu Seong-hyeon, a former sergeant in the North Korean military who defected to South Korea in 2019, told reporters that captured soldiers are considered traitors. “They will kill themselves before being taken prisoner,” he said. “It is the ultimate disgrace, and their families will pay the price in blood.”

This revelation comes as reports estimate that over 12,000 North Korean soldiers have been sent to Russia to bolster Putin’s war effort. U.S. intelligence confirms that not only is North Korea providing manpower, but Pyongyang has also been supplying weapons to Russian forces.

The South Korean National Intelligence Service (NIS) recently disclosed that 300 North Korean soldiers have already been killed, with thousands more wounded. Despite the mounting casualties, Pyongyang continues to send reinforcements, particularly to the war-torn Kursk region.

Captured North Koreans: A Rare Occurrence

In January, Ukrainian forces made a surprising announcement: for the first time, they had captured two North Korean soldiers alive. A video released by Ukraine showed one of the captured soldiers shaking his head when asked if he knew he was fighting against Ukraine.

South Korean intelligence identified the men as part of North Korea’s Reconnaissance General Bureau, a high-level military intelligence unit. While their fate remains unclear, experts say their capture poses a massive risk for their families back in Pyongyang.

Untrained, Unprepared, and Left to Die

Defectors have described how North Korean troops are ill-equipped for modern warfare. Drone warfare has exposed their weaknesses, with many troops lacking even basic training in how to counter the new threat. “They don’t know how to defend themselves,” said another defector, Pak Yusung. “They just die like dogs.”

Videos released by the Ukrainian military have shown North Korean soldiers being hunted down by drones, their outdated tactics proving useless against precision strikes. The South Korean intelligence agency has noted that Pyongyang’s forces tend to shoot blindly at long-range drones, a tactic that has only worsened their already dire situation.

Why is Kim Jong Un Sending Soldiers to Die?

For years, North Korea’s economy has been on the brink of collapse, worsened by crippling U.S. and international sanctions. Defectors say that Pyongyang is sending troops to Russia in exchange for cash, resources, and possibly even critical military technology.

“Kim isn’t just selling soldiers—he’s buying influence,” Pak explained. “Russia is providing North Korea with technology that could be used for future conflicts, including against South Korea and the United States.”

Beyond the battlefield, the financial incentives for North Korean soldiers are enormous—by their standards. A deployment to Russia offers the promise of better rations and wages, things unheard of back home. “If I were still a soldier, I would have wanted to go,” admitted Ryu. “In North Korea, you don’t eat. In Russia, at least you get food.”

A Threat to the Free World

With North Korean troops actively engaged in combat, the implications extend far beyond Ukraine. Analysts warn that a Russian victory would strengthen the “dictator alliance”—a dangerous coalition of authoritarian regimes including North Korea, Iran, and China.

“This is just the beginning,” Pak cautioned. “If the Ukraine war drags on, Kim will keep sending soldiers. The more North Koreans learn about the outside world, the more of a threat they become to Kim’s control.”

Meanwhile, defectors like Pak and Ryu are urging world leaders to take action. Their organization, Voices of North Korean Youth, is pushing for stronger international condemnation of North Korea and Russia and calling for the International Criminal Court to hold Kim Jong Un accountable for sending his own people to die in a foreign war.

While global attention remains on Ukraine, North Korea’s role in the conflict is becoming harder to ignore. The question now is whether the United States and its allies will respond before it’s too late.