Ukraine Apprehends Injured North Korean Combatant, Reports Seoul

Ukrainian forces have reportedly captured a wounded North Korean soldier deployed to aid Russia's military endeavors, South Korea's intelligence agency confirmed on Friday.

This apprehension marks the first documented North Korean prisoner of war since December, when Pyongyang allegedly began dispatching troops to bolster Moscow's campaign in Ukraine.

The verification followed the circulation of an image on Telegram, purportedly depicting the injured soldier in question.

According to intelligence from Kyiv and Seoul, North Korea has deployed over 10,000 soldiers to assist Russian forces—a claim neither Moscow nor Pyongyang has publicly addressed. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed earlier this week that more than 3,000 of these troops have been either killed or severely injured in battles near Kursk.

President Zelenskyy further emphasized that the burgeoning alliance between Moscow and Pyongyang amplifies the potential for instability in the Korean Peninsula region, posing significant geopolitical risks.