It is estimated that among more than 10,000 soldiers sent by North Korea after Russia invaded Ukraine, about 4,000 have died or been injured.
The belongings of the fallen North Korean soldiers left on the Russia-Ukraine front included reflections on themselves and loyalty to the party.
On the 28th, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) reported that it obtained and analyzed some of the writings and notes of North Korean soldiers who were killed in action with the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces.
The notes included a self-criticism that said, 'I betrayed the love and grace of the party.' The soldier who wrote the note was identified as Jeong Gyeong-heon and was found dead in Russia's Kursk region, which borders Ukraine.
There was also a note stating, 'When a drone is spotted, work in groups of three: one person guides while the other two shoot.' Next to the note, there were drawings illustrating what to do upon the actual appearance of a drone.
Unlike the Ukrainian military, which is engaged in modern warfare, it is believed that the North Korean military is facing combat for the first time since the 1950-1953 Korean War.
Among the belongings of the deceased were notebooks inscribed in Russian as 'military service certificate.' They contained fabricated information about birthplace and occupation to conceal North Korea's deployment.