After the Brutal Battlefield, What Awaits These North Korean Troops Is Even More Terrifying!

In a startling twist to the ongoing war in Ukraine, North Korea has reportedly sent thousands of troops to aid Russia’s military efforts. However, their future looks grim. According to experts, these soldiers may never return home, with many potentially facing imprisonment in labor camps, commonly referred to as gulags.

A Dangerous Alliance

Reports from US intelligence suggest that around 10,000 North Korean soldiers are already stationed in Russia’s Kursk region, preparing to enter the battlefield in Ukraine. If this “trial run” proves successful, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un may send even more troops, solidifying a controversial partnership with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The alliance between the two nations was formalized recently in a defense treaty that pledges mutual military support in case of attack. This agreement also outlines their cooperation on atomic energy, space exploration, trade, and even food supply. But while this treaty strengthens ties between the two regimes, it puts the lives of North Korean soldiers in peril.

A Grim Homecoming Awaits

For the North Korean troops, surviving brutal battles in Ukraine might not guarantee safety. Keir Giles, a Russia expert and author, warns of a bleak reality for those hoping to return as heroes. “It would be dangerous for the North Korean regime to allow them back to infect others with knowledge of what they have seen,” Giles said.

He suggested the soldiers may face a fate similar to the Red Army’s in 1945 when returning soldiers were subjected to Stalinist purges. Many were sent to gulags to prevent the spread of ideas and information that might challenge their home regime.

A Taste of Freedom

There’s another reason North Korean troops might not return. Even exposure to Russia—a nation itself under strict governmental control—could reveal a life freer than what they’ve known under Kim’s rule. “They’ve had enough trouble with their own Russian soldiers going into Ukraine and realizing how much better life is just living it outside Russia,” Giles explained.

Allowing these troops back home, after witnessing even a glimpse of a less oppressive existence, could pose a significant risk to Kim’s tightly controlled propaganda machine. For the North Korean regime, the easiest solution may be to ensure these soldiers never leave Russia.

The Human Cost

Whether they return home or not, these troops face grave danger on the frontlines. Combat in Ukraine has taken a devastating toll on Russian forces, with casualty rates soaring. For North Korean soldiers, the prospect of survival seems slim. As Giles put it, “With just 10,000 NK troops there, at the casualty rate on the Russian side, that’s about a week.”

This initial deployment may only be the beginning. If the international community fails to respond, the program could expand, sending even more North Koreans into a deadly conflict far from home.

A Shocking First Since the Korean War

This marks the first time North Korea has engaged in large-scale foreign conflict since the Korean War ended in 1953. The decision to involve troops in Ukraine signals a shift in North Korea’s military strategy, one that not only tests international boundaries but also endangers its own citizens.

The collaboration between Russia and North Korea is not just a military move—it’s a gamble with human lives. And for the soldiers caught in the middle, the risks don’t end with the war.