In an exclusive interview with KBS on Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy denied a string of reports that North Korean troops have already engaged in battle as part of Russia’s war with Ukraine, that they have already seen fatalities, and that some have even advanced into Ukrainian territory.

During the interview in Uzhhorod, western Ukraine, Zelenskyy said while North Korean forces are preparing to enter combat in Russia’s Kursk region, they have not yet done so.

[Sound bite: KBS exclusive interview with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy]
Q: “So there have been no North Korean casualties as of yet?”
Zelenskyy: “So far, North Korean troops have not engaged in battle. They are preparing to be deployed for battle.”
Q: “So you’re saying they have not yet advanced across the border into Ukrainian territory, into areas other than the Kursk region?”
Zelenskyy: “They will be deployed in Kursk and also on Ukrainian soil. There is no doubt about that.”

He said he expects North Korean soldiers to arrive on the battlefield in Ukraine in a matter of days, not months. 

He added that around three-thousand North Korean officers and soldiers are currently in Russian training facilities, with this number set to increase to 12-thousand. He said talks are underway between North Korea and Russia concerning the deployment of army engineers, and that the North will also send a considerable number of civilians to work in specific munitions factories in Russia.

The Ukrainian president suggested that North Korea is providing Russian leader Vladimir Putin with an alternative to conscription, which is unpopular among Russians, and that Putin will seek to bolster the war effort by relying more heavily on North Korean troops.

Zelenskyy also added that if any North Korean soldiers are captured in battle, they will not be sent to South Korea but will be exchanged for Ukrainian soldiers held captive by Russia. 

[Sound bite: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy]
“What is most important for us is to increase the resources we have to exchange for prisoners of war in Russia. Therefore, we are ready to exchange North Korean troops for Ukrainians.”

During the interview, he reiterated that Putin may consider deploying more North Korean forces, contingent on the response from NATO and South Korea.

Interview conducted by Kim Kyung-jin; English translation by KBS World English News Service