Russian Embassy in Pyongyang posts letter written by North Korean soldier deployed to Russia

A handwritten letter from a North Korean soldier deployed to Russia was released by the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang.

The embassy on Friday posted four pages of a letter on its Facebook account, describing it as a message left by a North Korean soldier at a hospital in Russia.

One page was written in Korean and the other three in Russian. The letter included hand-drawn illustrations of the North Korean and Russian flags, along with depictions of medical staff.

Beneath the phrases “DPRK-Russia friendship and solidarity,” “sincerity,” and “family-like affection,” the soldier wrote: “To all the doctors, nurses and cooks of the department who have been selflessly devoted like a loving mother, I offer my greetings. Thank you.”

DPRK is short for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

The letter continued: “The sincerity you have shown us will be remembered forever in the history of DPRK-Russia friendship.”

At the bottom of the letter, the soldier signed off as “Ri Jeong○, 4th Battalion, 92nd Brigade.”

Russia officially acknowledged last month that North Korean troops had been deployed to the country. Since then, Moscow has openly highlighted their presence and praised them for their so-called heroic acts. The letter appears to be part of efforts to showcase the two countries’ alliance.

Vladimir Solovyov, a host on Russian state television, shared footage of North Korean soldiers participating in combat drills on his Telegram channel last Wednesday, citing the Russian Defense Ministry.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.

BY HYEON YE-SEUL [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]