This is reported by the South Korean agency Yonhap.
Intelligence suggests that the most likely reason for the withdrawal of North Korean troops from the front line is the high level of casualties.
According to South Korean intelligence estimates, North Korea has sent approximately 11,000 of its servicemen to participate in the war against Ukraine. Of these, 300 are considered killed, and around 2,700 are wounded.
Recall that earlier the New York Times reported that North Korea may send reinforcements to Russia within the next two months. In South Korea, it is believed that North Korea is accelerating the training of military personnel for deployment to Russia.
In October 2024, President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that he received information about Russia preparing two units of North Korean soldiers with 6,000 personnel each. As of January, Zelensky reported that 4,000 soldiers from North Korea had been neutralized in the Kursk region.
Ukrainian military personnel report that North Korean soldiers refuse to surrender; instead, they retrieve their comrades or commit suicide when threatened with capture. They also do not take prisoners — Ukrainian soldiers who attempted to surrender were killed.
In Russia, there are efforts to conceal the involvement of North Koreans in combat operations. According to the Special Operations Forces of Ukraine, they were recorded as Tuvinians in documents. Zelensky also stated that there were instances of facial burning to make identification of the bodies impossible.