North Koreans fake tuberculosis to avoid fighting in Russia’s war against Ukraine
Photo: North Koreans fake tuberculosis to avoid participating in Russia's war against Ukraine (Getty Images)
North Koreans fake tuberculosis to avoid participating in Russia's war. Families spend more than 100 times the average monthly salary on fake medical certificates to protect their husbands from being sent to the war zone, Newsweek reports.
According to US and South Korean estimates, Kim Jong Un’s regime has already sent up to 12,000 troops to Russia, where they are fighting in the Kursk region, helping Russian forces counter Ukraine’s counteroffensive.
North Korea has one of the world’s largest armies, with 1.3 million military personnel and 7.6 million reservists. Men are required to serve for 10 years, while women must complete five years of service. This has led many families to seek ways to exempt their relatives from mobilization.
According to media reports, the cost of bribing doctors for a fake tuberculosis certificate has increased fivefold compared to last year, rising from $100 to $500. For most families, this is an enormous sum, as the average monthly salary of a North Korean government worker is only $1 - 3. However, many are willing to pay, fearing their loved ones will not return from the front.
“There is an underlying fear that if their sons join the military and are sent to Russia, the parents will never see them again alive,” said a resident of North Korea’s Ryanggang Province.
A captured North Korean soldier, who was taken prisoner by Ukrainian forces, stated that he was not informed in advance that he would be sent to Russia. Many North Koreans were reportedly shocked by their deployment and were unaware of whom they were supposed to fight.
Relatives of the deceased reportedly receive official death certificates stating they died in "sacred combat training in honor of the motherland," without any mention of the actual circumstances of their deaths.
North Korean troops in Russia’s war against Ukraine
At the end of 2024, reports emerged that Kim Jong Un had sent North Korean soldiers to support Russia in its war against Ukraine. These troops were deployed by Russia to help liberate the Kursk region from Ukrainian forces.
However, North Korean forces have suffered significant losses.
According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Russia lost up to a battalion of North Korean soldiers in the Kursk region in just two days.
Additionally, Ukrainian forces captured the first North Korean soldiers, who were transported to Kyiv for investigation.
Today, it was reported that North Korean troops have been withdrawn from the front line in the Kursk region after sustaining heavy losses in combat.
Read more about North Korean soldiers' involvement in the war and its impact on the battlefield in the material by RBC-Ukraine.
