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North Korean troops in Russia sing songs, train with guns and drones in footage

Published: 04 May. 2025, 12:28 Updated: 04 May. 2025, 17:08

A plate full of Korean red pepper powder is seen in a video of North Korean soldiers deployed to the Russian border region of Kursk [SCREEN CAPTURE]

North Korean soldiers deployed to the southwestern Russian border region of Kursk have been seen singing Russian songs translated into Korean and conducting tactical training using firearms and drones, according to newly released footage.

Marina Kim, a journalist for Russian state television and a descendant of ethnic Koreans in Russia called Koryoin, posted a video on her Telegram channel on Wednesday after covering the North Korean troops stationed in Kursk.

Kim described the soldiers as “very young,” estimating their ages to be “around 23 to 27,” and noted that they were in “good physical condition.”

The footage showed the soldiers training in trenches and forests, using both guns and drones.

“In actual combat, they don’t move in such large formations,” Kim said. “They mostly operate in small tactical units of two to four people.”

The video also featured a handwritten cheat sheet used by a Russian instructor, listing about 10 Korean commands written phonetically in Cyrillic script, such as “Annyeonghasimnikka,” meaning "hello," “Apeuro” meaning "forward," “Bora” meaning "look," “Na-cheoreom hara” meaning "do as I do," “Misail gyeongbo” meaning "missile alert," “Jeok balgyeon” meaning "enemy spotted" and “Jalhanda” meaning "well done."

Accommodations and dining facilities used by the North Korean troops were also shown. A slogan painted in red and blue inside the barracks read, “Avenge our fallen comrades!”

A wounded soldier, suspected to be North Korean and captured by Ukrainian forces in Russia's western Kursk region, is pictured in this file photo posted to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's X account on Jan. 11. [YONHAP]

A sign outside the mess hall indicated scheduled meal times: breakfast from 6 to 9 a.m., lunch from 1 to 4 p.m. and dinner from 7 to 10 p.m.

Inside the dining area, typical Russian fare such as borscht and cookies were seen prepared for distribution. A plate full of red pepper powder was also visible on one of the tables.

“We eat well and are doing fine here,” one North Korean soldier said. “Although we don’t have mobile phones, we are given tablets and smartphones without SIM cards so we can download and read books or watch military films.”

The video also captured a group of North Korean troops passionately singing “Katyusha,” a famous Russian wartime song, in Korean.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY JEONG HYE-JEONG [[email protected]]