Bandaged Face of Captured North Korean Soldier Linked to Suicide Attempt

A North Korean soldier captured by Ukrainian forces last year was seen with his entire face wrapped in bandages.

At the time, the exact cause of his injuries was unknown, but Ukrainian medical staff have since testified that he suffered severe injuries to his jaw after refusing to surrender and attempting suicide.

North Korea-focused media outlet NK News reported on a documentary containing the testimony of the Ukrainian military medical staff.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced in January of last year that Ukrainian forces had captured two North Korean soldiers in the western Russian region of Kursk.

Among them, a North Korean sniper reportedly born in 1999 had sustained a major injury to his jaw area and had his face wrapped in bandages.

At the time, Ukrainian authorities did not disclose the exact cause of the injuries.

However, in the recent documentary, Ihor Maksimishin, an anesthesiologist belonging to Ukraine's 95th Separate Air Assault Brigade who treated the prisoner at the time, stated that the injury was self-inflicted.

Maksimishin explained that the prisoner's face was severely damaged, his lower jaw was broken, and he also had an injury to his upper arm.

In particular, he stated that the severe facial injury, which caused massive bleeding, was a wound he inflicted on himself.

He explained that the North Korean soldier did not want to surrender and thus attempted suicide.

The medical team stated that they treated the prisoner promptly to save his life and to allow relevant agencies to secure necessary information.

Recalling the time, Maksimishin shared that while everyone had heard stories about North Korean soldiers fighting alongside Russian forces, it was a time when no one had actually seen a North Korean soldier in person.

North Korea began dispatching troops to Russia in October 2024 and was deployed into combat against Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region toward the end of that same year.

The issue of how to handle the custody of the two captured North Korean soldiers has not yet been decided.

The two individuals have previously expressed their intention to defect to South Korea through interviews with domestic media and letters sent to North Korean defectors organizations.

South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs maintains the stance that should they request to come to South Korea, the government will accept all of them in accordance with its basic principle and provide necessary protection and support pursuant to relevant laws and regulations.

Reported by Kim Minjeong | Video by IYOO | Graphics by Lee Jung-joo | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.