Diary of Fallen Soldier Reveals Challenges for North Koreans in Ukraine
Ukrainian special forces have released excerpts from a diary they claim was found on the body of a North Korean soldier killed during front-line combat in Russia’s Kursk region. The diary entries, purportedly written by Pvt. Jong Kyong Hong, shed light on the ideology and motivations of North Korean forces allegedly deployed to support Russian military efforts.
The Ukrainian Special Operations Forces (SOF) have been sharing information on social media regarding what they describe as an increasing presence of North Korean troops in Russia. A photograph of a handwritten letter, dated Dec. 9, and other diary entries were among the materials revealed. These artifacts were reportedly recovered from a soldier who was killed in action and whose identity, Ukraine alleges, was falsely registered by Russian authorities as a member of a local ethnic Tuvan group.
One of the translated diary excerpts is a letter addressed to “Song Ji Myong,” a comrade of the soldier.
“Having left my homeland and being in russia, I wish my good friend and army brother, Song Ji Myung (Yong), a happy birthday and good health. Dec. 9, 2024,”
The diary, attributed to Pvt. Gyeong Hong Jong, contains reflections on the soldier’s upbringing, ideological devotion, and a sense of personal redemption through military service. In the diary’s first entry, Gyeong Hong Jong wrote about his life in North Korea and his gratitude toward the regime:
“I grew up in the bosom of a gracious party, studying to my heart’s content without worrying about anything in this world. There is more unknown love than love that is recognized and accepted. I did not know how to respond to the happiness that surrounded me.”
He went on to describe his sense of duty:
“Since the defense of the motherland is the sacred duty of a citizen, and the greatest duty is to defend the homeland, which constitutes all my happiness, I wear the revolutionary military uniform for the protection of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief.”
The diary reveals that Gyeong Hong Jong had been promoted to sergeant major within his unit but later fell out of favor with the regime:
“I was blessed with the opportunity to be promoted to chief sergeant in my company. However, I betrayed the native party that trusted me and committed ungrateful acts against the Supreme Commander-in-Chief. The sins I have committed are unforgivable, but my homeland has given me a path to rebirth, to a new start in life.”
This “path to rebirth” appears to have been his deployment to the front lines in Russia. The soldier expressed a determination to regain his party’s trust by fully committing to his mission:
“I will go to the front line in this operation, and I will unconditionally carry out the orders of the Supreme Commander Kim Jong Un, even if it costs me my life.”
Russia’s use of North Korean troops in its conflict with Ukraine has led to staggering casualties, according to reports from U.S., Ukrainian, and South Korean officials. The deployment, estimated at 10,000 to 12,000 soldiers, reflects Moscow’s reliance on foreign allies as it struggles to maintain its offensive in the Kursk region.
The so-called “human wave” assaults, described by White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby, involve large-scale, infantry-based attacks against Ukrainian positions. These tactics have proven ineffective, with an estimated 1,000 North Korean troops killed or wounded in the past week alone. Kirby added that North Korean soldiers, heavily indoctrinated and likely fearful of reprisal against their families in the event of capture, have resorted to suicide rather than surrendering to Ukrainian forces.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that over 3,000 North Korean soldiers have been killed or wounded since their deployment to Russia. He noted that the troops are sent into battle with minimal protection, often treated as “expendable” by their commanders. Zelenskyy’s statement also revealed that captured North Korean soldiers were “seriously wounded and could not be resuscitated.”
Neither Pyongyang nor Moscow has officially acknowledged the presence of North Korean troops in Russia, nor have they addressed reports of casualties among the foreign soldiers.
