A special forces commander has said that North Korean soldiers think it is World War Two and would rather blow themselves up than be captured by Ukrainian forces

North Korean soldiers have withdrawn from the front line in the Kursk region, according to the Ukrainian military. The Koreans suffered significant losses as a result of the clashes. The Koreans' withdrawal may be related to the losses they incurred during the fighting. Some estimates suggest that up to 4,000 soldiers were either killed or wounded. Meanwhile, Ukrainians have intercepted Russian communications indicating that the Koreans might return to the front.

South Korea's military suspects North Korea is preparing to send more troops to Russia to fight Ukrainian forces, following reports of heavy casualties among North Korean soldiers due to a lack of modern combat training. NBC's Janis Mackey Frayer spoke with former members of Kim Jong Un's army who have defected to South Korea.

Britain's defense ministry said about 1,000 North Korean soldiers had been killed and about 3,000 more had been wounded fighting against Ukraine.

As of mid-January 2025, DPRK forces had lost 4,000 people in offensive combat operations against Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region. Of these, about a quarter were killed in action, according to the UK Ministry of Defense. The report noted that the total losses are more than a third of the approximately 11,000 DPRK troops deployed in the Kursk region.