■ Host: Anchor Jeong Chae-woon, anchor Hwang Ji-yeon
■ Telephone connection: Cho Han-beom, chair researcher at the Korea Institute for Unification,
* The text below may differ from the actual broadcast content, so please check the broadcast for more accurate information. Please specify [YTN Newswide] when quoting.
[Anchor]
It was reported that Ukrainian troops captured one of the North Korean soldiers sent to Russia and died of aggravated injuries within a day. In the midst of this, Russian President Putin sent a New Year's card to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, which is analyzed to contain expectations for additional dispatch of North Korean troops.
We will connect Cho Han-beom, a chair researcher at the Korea Institute for Unification, to find out about the contents. Commissioner, you're out, right?
[Cho Han-beom]
Hello?
[Anchor]
Ukrainian forces have captured a North Korean soldier sent to Russia alive, local media reported. It is said that he was the first North Korean soldier to be captured alive in Ukraine, but he died of aggravated injuries, and some say that many of the North Korean soldiers were malnourished. How credible do you think it is?
[Cho Han-beom]
First of all, I can't believe all the news about the North Korean military from Ukraine. Recently, we need to synthesize all the judgments of the US authorities, the NIS, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and even the information. In general, more than 10,000 North Korean soldiers went to Russia in early October, and more than 10,000 of them went to Kursk and participated in the battle, but the South Korean and U.S. authorities recognized it in mid-December. Since then. And there were casualties. Our National Intelligence Service Joint Chiefs of Staff has killed more than 100 people and injured more than 1,000 people, and this is almost a reliable judgment.
The capture soldier you just mentioned died, and our National Intelligence Service also confirmed this. So, the NIS said it made a comprehensive judgment with allies and intelligence, so that part is almost reliable. The North Korean military, which has been waiting near Kursk, is participating in the battle in earnest, and there are injuries after the death. I think it's reliable up to this point.
[Anchor]
If so, will it be possible to defect to Korea if North Korean soldiers are captured alive in the future? Or will it be repatriated to North Korea?
[Cho Han-beom] It's complicated.
Because North Korea and Russia have not admitted to sending troops. And it is known that North Korean soldiers who were dispatched use Russian military uniforms and then Russian identification cards, not Korean soldiers like we did in the Vietnam War. Then you'll be treated like a Russian for now. That's why President Zelensky is also in Ukraine. The basic position is that if the North Korean army catches it, they will exchange prisoners with Ukrainian soldiers. But if a captured soldier wants to go to Korea, the story becomes complicated. Because under the constitution, North Koreans are potentially South Korean citizens.
Then, it is a requirement to come to South Korea, but the problem is that North Korea and Russia do not recognize this, so under international law, they cannot be treated as prisoners of war under the Geneva Convention. So in extreme cases, if North Korea and Russia don't acknowledge it, it just becomes a killer if the soldier kills the Ukrainian army. So in reality, there are very complex problems.
Also, North Korea won't accept it because it doesn't recognize it, and coming to Korea is complicated, so even if they are willing to defect to Korea, the process is very difficult or practically impossible right now because there is no agreement between Korea and Ukraine.
[Anchor]
He said that there are realistic restrictions on defection in the current situation, and according to the NIS Joint Chiefs of Staff, the number of North Korean casualties was around 1,000, but Ukrainian President Zelensky said more than 3,000.
If this is real, what do you think is the reason why the damage is so large?
[Cho Han-beom]
So, people say that the North Korean military is being beaten by Ukrainian drones, but the fundamental story is that the North Korean military is now presumed to be the Storm Corps and the 11th Corps. This is a kind of mountain unit that does not have a lot of armament, which is a kind of light-armed, mountaineering unit. So it's not a mechanized infantry. But Russia-Ukraine war Kursk is a plain. First of all, the terrain is different.
Second, we don't have any heavy equipment. I'm not getting any field artillery support, and I couldn't take it. Also, I'm not getting support from armored vehicles and tanks. So a fairly lightweight armament. So the maximum heavy weapon that the storm troop has is a 60mm mortar.
is portable. But it only has a range of 2km. They were just thrown into peace on this plain without arms, without Russian artillery or tank armoured vehicles. So the reason why you get hit by a drone is because the drone took it. More than that, the structural problems are the equipment differences because of the meager armed forces, language differences, terrain differences that are not suitable for combat right now. Large-scale sacrifices are taking place now. Because the Russo-Western War is a war of attrition. So, it's unfortunate that it's used as a consumable for bullet fans on the front line, but this seems to be a reality.
[Anchor]
In this regard, did the General Intelligence Service of Ukraine evaluate that North Korean military tactics are at the level of World War II and have no significant impact on fighting?
[Cho Han-beom]
First of all, the tactics themselves are World War II tactics. Russia is now protecting the upper hand of the front line with enormous sacrifices through tactics. Then, North Korea's storm troop itself is a World War II concept. Modern light infantry, like the Strike Brigade of the United States, are lightweight armored vehicles, quite armed. Words are lightweight. Using helicopters or modern light guards, the North Korean military is just an infantryman.
So, when a war breaks out, it stays in the back of North Korea and descends along the Taebaek Mountains and disturbs it by walking in the mountains. Now that we're fighting on the Kursk plains with that concept, this is just a bob to Ukraine's eyes. From Russia's point of view, once it is sent to the front line, it is possible to know the location of Ukrainian troops and positions such as field guns through the sacrifice of the North Korean military. It's kind of acting as a bait.
[Anchor]
Some people said that. Since North Korea does not have much experience in modern warfare, it has been used as an opportunity to improve its military combat capabilities through this Russo-War. What do you think about this?
[Cho Han-beom]
That makes a lot of sense. No matter how great the sacrifice may be, it is estimated that the head of the Reconnaissance General Bureau is currently there, North Korea. North Korea's Reconnaissance General Bureau is a unit that directly directs provocations against the South in the DMZ, MDL, and NLL. Then, it was 63 to 53 years when we were dispatched to the Vietnam War. It's already 50 years ago. Since this is a modern war, we are very concerned because the experience of the modern war can be applied to the North Korean military's combat doctrine no matter how enormous the North Korean military sacrifices.
[Anchor]
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin's New Year's card to Chairman Kim Jong-un was revealed in the North Korean Rodong Sinmun. What's in it?
[Cho Han-beom]
It's not that long. It's only about 10 lines. So it's this June. North Korea-Russia relations have been upgraded to a new level at the North Korea-Russia summit. Therefore, conditions have been prepared to fundamentally expand bilateral cooperation. Let's continue to work together more closely for the implementation of the treaty in 2025. It's a textbook story.Ma, but because the North Korean military has been dispatched now. It's officially fermented again. The ratification was completed in early November and all the ratification documents were exchanged. Then, whether to officially recognize the dispatch of North Korean troops, and then a large-scale, up to 3,000 people now. If President Zelensky is right. Then if 1/24 of the victims are sacrificed, the supplement needs to go. I'm going to show a lot of potential for further military cooperation. You can see it. What's interesting is that Putin sent it on December 17th. But it was released on the 27th. So there's a large-scale North Korean military sacrifice. It came out right after such a report. So in that respect, it seems that the effect of informing the North Koreans that there is no problem with the bilateral cooperation relationship now is also aimed at.
[Anchor]
Finally, the treaty was signed at the summit held in June as you mentioned just a moment ago. It's a treaty on a concluding strategic partnership. This sounds a little difficult when you hear it, but I wonder what it contains and what you think about the possibility of additional dispatch.
[Cho Han-beom]
So if you do military cooperation, it's an alliance treaty. On the other side is the enemy relationship, and in the meantime, there are treaties that contain general relations between countries, and the lowest partnership. Then the middle is the comprehensive partnership. This is a relationship between Korea and Russia. Next is comprehensive strategic partnership, and the problem is military cooperation that enters the alliance treaty in Article 4. So, if both sides are in a state of war, they will provide military and other aid without delay. So now that Russia is at war, North Korea is implementing it according to the treaty. Then, if there is a ceasefire with Trump in power, there is no problem, but if it is prolonged, a large-scale additional dispatch. 320,000 people were dispatched to Vietnam. Next, large-scale additional weapons support and such things will depend on the future direction of military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, depending on whether the war is lulling or continuing to expand with Trump's presidency.
[Anchor]
I see. That's all for today's talk. I looked into the contents with Cho Han-beom, a researcher at the Korea Institute for Unification,
. Thank you for talking today.
※ 'Your report becomes news'
[Kakao Talk] YTN Search and Add Channel
[Phone] 02-398-8585
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[Copyright holder (c) YTN Unauthorized reproduction, redistribution and use of AI data prohibited]
■ Telephone connection: Cho Han-beom, chair researcher at the Korea Institute for Unification,
* The text below may differ from the actual broadcast content, so please check the broadcast for more accurate information. Please specify [YTN Newswide] when quoting.
[Anchor]
It was reported that Ukrainian troops captured one of the North Korean soldiers sent to Russia and died of aggravated injuries within a day. In the midst of this, Russian President Putin sent a New Year's card to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, which is analyzed to contain expectations for additional dispatch of North Korean troops.
We will connect Cho Han-beom, a chair researcher at the Korea Institute for Unification, to find out about the contents. Commissioner, you're out, right?
[Cho Han-beom]
Hello?
[Anchor]
Ukrainian forces have captured a North Korean soldier sent to Russia alive, local media reported. It is said that he was the first North Korean soldier to be captured alive in Ukraine, but he died of aggravated injuries, and some say that many of the North Korean soldiers were malnourished. How credible do you think it is?
[Cho Han-beom]
First of all, I can't believe all the news about the North Korean military from Ukraine. Recently, we need to synthesize all the judgments of the US authorities, the NIS, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and even the information. In general, more than 10,000 North Korean soldiers went to Russia in early October, and more than 10,000 of them went to Kursk and participated in the battle, but the South Korean and U.S. authorities recognized it in mid-December. Since then. And there were casualties. Our National Intelligence Service Joint Chiefs of Staff has killed more than 100 people and injured more than 1,000 people, and this is almost a reliable judgment.
The capture soldier you just mentioned died, and our National Intelligence Service also confirmed this. So, the NIS said it made a comprehensive judgment with allies and intelligence, so that part is almost reliable. The North Korean military, which has been waiting near Kursk, is participating in the battle in earnest, and there are injuries after the death. I think it's reliable up to this point.
[Anchor]
If so, will it be possible to defect to Korea if North Korean soldiers are captured alive in the future? Or will it be repatriated to North Korea?
[Cho Han-beom] It's complicated.
Because North Korea and Russia have not admitted to sending troops. And it is known that North Korean soldiers who were dispatched use Russian military uniforms and then Russian identification cards, not Korean soldiers like we did in the Vietnam War. Then you'll be treated like a Russian for now. That's why President Zelensky is also in Ukraine. The basic position is that if the North Korean army catches it, they will exchange prisoners with Ukrainian soldiers. But if a captured soldier wants to go to Korea, the story becomes complicated. Because under the constitution, North Koreans are potentially South Korean citizens.
Then, it is a requirement to come to South Korea, but the problem is that North Korea and Russia do not recognize this, so under international law, they cannot be treated as prisoners of war under the Geneva Convention. So in extreme cases, if North Korea and Russia don't acknowledge it, it just becomes a killer if the soldier kills the Ukrainian army. So in reality, there are very complex problems.
Also, North Korea won't accept it because it doesn't recognize it, and coming to Korea is complicated, so even if they are willing to defect to Korea, the process is very difficult or practically impossible right now because there is no agreement between Korea and Ukraine.
[Anchor]
He said that there are realistic restrictions on defection in the current situation, and according to the NIS Joint Chiefs of Staff, the number of North Korean casualties was around 1,000, but Ukrainian President Zelensky said more than 3,000.
If this is real, what do you think is the reason why the damage is so large?
[Cho Han-beom]
So, people say that the North Korean military is being beaten by Ukrainian drones, but the fundamental story is that the North Korean military is now presumed to be the Storm Corps and the 11th Corps. This is a kind of mountain unit that does not have a lot of armament, which is a kind of light-armed, mountaineering unit. So it's not a mechanized infantry. But Russia-Ukraine war Kursk is a plain. First of all, the terrain is different.
Second, we don't have any heavy equipment. I'm not getting any field artillery support, and I couldn't take it. Also, I'm not getting support from armored vehicles and tanks. So a fairly lightweight armament. So the maximum heavy weapon that the storm troop has is a 60mm mortar.
is portable. But it only has a range of 2km. They were just thrown into peace on this plain without arms, without Russian artillery or tank armoured vehicles. So the reason why you get hit by a drone is because the drone took it. More than that, the structural problems are the equipment differences because of the meager armed forces, language differences, terrain differences that are not suitable for combat right now. Large-scale sacrifices are taking place now. Because the Russo-Western War is a war of attrition. So, it's unfortunate that it's used as a consumable for bullet fans on the front line, but this seems to be a reality.
[Anchor]
In this regard, did the General Intelligence Service of Ukraine evaluate that North Korean military tactics are at the level of World War II and have no significant impact on fighting?
[Cho Han-beom]
First of all, the tactics themselves are World War II tactics. Russia is now protecting the upper hand of the front line with enormous sacrifices through tactics. Then, North Korea's storm troop itself is a World War II concept. Modern light infantry, like the Strike Brigade of the United States, are lightweight armored vehicles, quite armed. Words are lightweight. Using helicopters or modern light guards, the North Korean military is just an infantryman.
So, when a war breaks out, it stays in the back of North Korea and descends along the Taebaek Mountains and disturbs it by walking in the mountains. Now that we're fighting on the Kursk plains with that concept, this is just a bob to Ukraine's eyes. From Russia's point of view, once it is sent to the front line, it is possible to know the location of Ukrainian troops and positions such as field guns through the sacrifice of the North Korean military. It's kind of acting as a bait.
[Anchor]
Some people said that. Since North Korea does not have much experience in modern warfare, it has been used as an opportunity to improve its military combat capabilities through this Russo-War. What do you think about this?
[Cho Han-beom]
That makes a lot of sense. No matter how great the sacrifice may be, it is estimated that the head of the Reconnaissance General Bureau is currently there, North Korea. North Korea's Reconnaissance General Bureau is a unit that directly directs provocations against the South in the DMZ, MDL, and NLL. Then, it was 63 to 53 years when we were dispatched to the Vietnam War. It's already 50 years ago. Since this is a modern war, we are very concerned because the experience of the modern war can be applied to the North Korean military's combat doctrine no matter how enormous the North Korean military sacrifices.
[Anchor]
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin's New Year's card to Chairman Kim Jong-un was revealed in the North Korean Rodong Sinmun. What's in it?
[Cho Han-beom]
It's not that long. It's only about 10 lines. So it's this June. North Korea-Russia relations have been upgraded to a new level at the North Korea-Russia summit. Therefore, conditions have been prepared to fundamentally expand bilateral cooperation. Let's continue to work together more closely for the implementation of the treaty in 2025. It's a textbook story.Ma, but because the North Korean military has been dispatched now. It's officially fermented again. The ratification was completed in early November and all the ratification documents were exchanged. Then, whether to officially recognize the dispatch of North Korean troops, and then a large-scale, up to 3,000 people now. If President Zelensky is right. Then if 1/24 of the victims are sacrificed, the supplement needs to go. I'm going to show a lot of potential for further military cooperation. You can see it. What's interesting is that Putin sent it on December 17th. But it was released on the 27th. So there's a large-scale North Korean military sacrifice. It came out right after such a report. So in that respect, it seems that the effect of informing the North Koreans that there is no problem with the bilateral cooperation relationship now is also aimed at.
[Anchor]
Finally, the treaty was signed at the summit held in June as you mentioned just a moment ago. It's a treaty on a concluding strategic partnership. This sounds a little difficult when you hear it, but I wonder what it contains and what you think about the possibility of additional dispatch.
[Cho Han-beom]
So if you do military cooperation, it's an alliance treaty. On the other side is the enemy relationship, and in the meantime, there are treaties that contain general relations between countries, and the lowest partnership. Then the middle is the comprehensive partnership. This is a relationship between Korea and Russia. Next is comprehensive strategic partnership, and the problem is military cooperation that enters the alliance treaty in Article 4. So, if both sides are in a state of war, they will provide military and other aid without delay. So now that Russia is at war, North Korea is implementing it according to the treaty. Then, if there is a ceasefire with Trump in power, there is no problem, but if it is prolonged, a large-scale additional dispatch. 320,000 people were dispatched to Vietnam. Next, large-scale additional weapons support and such things will depend on the future direction of military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, depending on whether the war is lulling or continuing to expand with Trump's presidency.
[Anchor]
I see. That's all for today's talk. I looked into the contents with Cho Han-beom, a researcher at the Korea Institute for Unification,
. Thank you for talking today.
※ 'Your report becomes news'
[Kakao Talk] YTN Search and Add Channel
[Phone] 02-398-8585
[Mail] social@ytn. co. kr
[Copyright holder (c) YTN Unauthorized reproduction, redistribution and use of AI data prohibited]
