ISW predicts timeline for complete elimination of North Korean military forces on front
North Korean military forces suffer record losses in battles against the Ukrainian Armed Forces (Illustrative photo: Getty Images)
As of today, there are 12,000 North Korean soldiers stationed in the Kursk region. At the current rate of casualties, the entire contingent could be killed or wounded in combat by mid-April 2025, reports the US Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
The report also referenced a statement by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who noted that as of early January, 3,800 North Korean soldiers had been killed or wounded in the Kursk region.
The Institute also recalled a statement made by Ukraine's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov on November 5, 2024, in which he stated that North Korean forces were involved in small skirmishes in the Kursk region. However, on December 6, Russian military bloggers began claiming that North Korean troops were engaged in more extensive combat operations in the area.
As a result, the ISW calculated that North Korean casualties amounted to approximately 92 soldiers per day since they began participating in large-scale battles in early December 2024.
The Institute recalled that North Korea had deployed approximately 12,000 soldiers to the Kursk region. They speculated that the entire North Korean contingent could be killed or wounded within approximately 12 weeks (roughly by mid-April 2025) if North Korean forces continue to sustain such high casualties in the future.
"North Korean forces will likely continue to suffer a larger ratio of wounded to killed in action - as is typical for armed conflict - and it is unclear if or when injured North Korean soldiers return to combat," the ISW noted.
Involvement of North Korean soldiers in the war against Ukraine
In December, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent soldiers to assist Russia in the war against Ukraine. The Russians are using allied troops to liberate the Kursk region from Ukrainian forces.
On January 4, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that in just two days, Russia lost up to a battalion of North Korean soldiers in the Kursk region.
As of January 11, two North Korean soldiers had been captured by Ukrainian forces.
Meanwhile, according to the National Intelligence Service of South Korea, 300 North Korean soldiers have been killed in battles in the Kursk region, and 2,700 have been wounded.
For more details on the involvement of North Korean soldiers in the war and the impact on the front lines, read our article.
