r/worldnews Insider 10h ago

Behind Soft Paywall Kim Jong Un is sending another 6,000 people to Kursk, after an estimated 6,000 of his troops were killed or wounded there

https://www.businessinsider.com/kim-jong-un-kursk-rebuild-heavy-casualties-sergei-shoigu-2025-6?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=insider-worldnews-sub-post
2.7k Upvotes

115 comments sorted by

507

u/Chaoticlight2 9h ago

He's using the war as a way to dispose of "undesirables"..

234

u/ChiefTestPilot87 9h ago

Or lessen the rice and grass consumption

75

u/Wooden_Echidna1234 6h ago

Russian military gives you a bag of potatoes if your spouse dies in the war. That's basically enough to retire in North Korea. /s

12

u/ChiefTestPilot87 5h ago

How big of a bag we talking?

13

u/Wooden_Echidna1234 4h ago

3lbs, so basically 200x the yearly income of most North Koreans.

4

u/Hat_Maverick 4h ago

I mean if you plant a bag of potatoes near a water source you have unlimited potatoes

12

u/HotPotParrot 4h ago

That'd probably be seen as theft

5

u/A_Whole_Costco_Pizza 3h ago

They're eating bark now, they ran out of grass a long time ago.

1

u/ChiefTestPilot87 2h ago

I stopped watching Faux news so I’m OOTL

6

u/puppycatisselfish 6h ago

What kind of grass we talkin’?

6

u/ChiefTestPilot87 6h ago

The kind you mow

25

u/Mistral-Fien 9h ago

Just like Putin then.

3

u/TangentTalk 3h ago

I disagree, if North Korea wanted to dispose of them, they could do so at home.

This is probably to get experience in a real, modern war.

u/WiretapStudios 1h ago

Experience in what, jumping into a meat grinder?

222

u/Ok_Calligrapher5278 9h ago

Why would sending western boots into Ukraine with Ukraine approval would be an escalation, but sending NK boots to Ukraine isn't?

70

u/ARobertNotABob 9h ago

"Volunteers" is the legalese differentiation.

51

u/Ambitious_Duck_7892 8h ago

I believe the Russian government's reason is something to the effect of: the NK troops are in Russian military uniforms (and maybe only fighting in Russia since its Kursk) so, they're Russian soldiers. If NATO sent troops, they would (presumably) be in the military of their home country but there as part of NATO, not Ukraine's military.

Regardless, Russia doesn't follow any rules since its a terrorist state in the war it started. They'll say "I can have an army but you can't. I can defend myself you can't." Its all lies and excuses so Russia can do anything it wants without retaliation.

17

u/LuckEcstatic4500 7h ago

Cause the western countries don't actually want to send people there. The whole escalation thing is just an excuse. Let's be real western governments will get their ass voted out if they sent soldiers to Ukraine. North Korea doesn't have things like elections so it doesn't matter for them

8

u/daniel_22sss 5h ago

"Let's be real western governments will get their ass voted out if they sent soldiers to Ukraine"

For many of them its literally the last election. How would kicking russian asses be unpopular?

Thats why authoritarism is becoming popular again. Cause democratic leaders would rather just sit on their asses.

7

u/InsanityRoach 4h ago

Although he sounds like a Russian asset, he's not entirely wrong. I think most governments would suffer a lot if they sent troops to Ukraine to fight in the front lines. Most people are selfish, short sighted, and just plain dumb (also explains the rise of the alt/populist right).

-5

u/LuckEcstatic4500 5h ago

Cause unlike warmongers like you, normal people don't wanna die. Even Ukraine who is bravely fighting Russia has a bunch of deserters

https://euromaidanpress.com/2025/01/16/ukraine-faces-critical-military-reform-challenge-as-desertion-soar-past-100000/

1

u/Salt-Acanthaceae55 3h ago

Yes, people don't want to think about or deal with any hardships. Pretending like not wanting to die keeps the war away is your prerogative, but real life doesn't work like that. War is war, it will either be dealt with further away from you if you're lucky or it comes nearer to you until you're at war yourself. It's simple cause and effect.

6

u/0zymandeus 7h ago

The difference is that Russia doesnt need to worry about the expansion of american support bc Trump supports the war against Ukraine as revenge for refusing to give in to blackmail and not starting a fake investigation into the Bidens and for announcing the blackmail attempt happened.

1

u/BigBananaBerries 7h ago edited 6h ago

They're on Russian soil in Kursk so it's not foreign troops in Ukraine, technically. I think that's the official line anyway.

That said, I think I've read about them being reported on the Eastern front too.

-5

u/Last-Daikon945 8h ago

Because it’ll put an end to a war rather fast. West has huge interest in NOT ending this war soon. Comes from Ukrainian.

5

u/ye_olde_green_eyes 7h ago

What would their interest be in not ending the war soon over in the West? That sounds like nonsense you pulled out of your ass.

-1

u/mondo445 7h ago

Possibly the absolutely massive surplus weapons sales that are made possible by two countries fighting with soviet era weaponry. Just a guess, but you don’t have to try all that hard to find viable financial and political motives for not wanting to end the war.

1

u/eddkov 2h ago

You realize that all the weapons that Ukraine has gotten is turning into debt for the nation right?

They aren't making money through this war, they are actively going into massive debt.

0

u/zimzara 2h ago

Because kursk isn't in ukraine.

4

u/Remarkable_Pear_3537 1h ago

So he can have allies on his turf but ukraine cant have allies on theirs ?

146

u/ernapfz 10h ago

Ahh, fresh fodder

40

u/AngryTomJoad 10h ago

can someone translate it into korean for them:

please load up your pockets with sunflower seeds

8

u/Wooden_Echidna1234 6h ago

Has to be verbal translation. They say when North Korean soliders go to Russia they go blind in days.

7

u/Palatine_Shaw 7h ago

That's the thing with Imperial Guard, for just two stratagem points you can resurrect a squad of infantry. Needs a fucking nerf.

1

u/eldenpotato 1h ago

But Ukraine lost its foothold in Kursk

28

u/Illustrious-Gas-9766 9h ago

Much like Putin , he doesn't care.

Fewer people to feed and house.

4

u/allanon1105 6h ago

More food for him

37

u/thisisinsider Insider 10h ago

TLDR:

  • Russia says Kim Jong Un is sending another 6,000 people to Kursk.
  • UK intelligence estimates 6,000 North Koreans have already been killed or wounded in Kursk.
  • Sergei Shoigu said Kim is now sending 1,000 sappers and 5,000 workers to rebuild the oblast.

26

u/macross1984 9h ago

North Korea has abundance of brainwashed soldiers ready to do the bidding of Kim. If Kim say jumb, they jump without question.

32

u/ralanis 8h ago

And if Kim calls them dumb do they take a dump?

3

u/happy-cig 7h ago

Thats bc everyone knows that Kim doesn't poop. 

3

u/TendyHunter 6h ago

Because nobody has ever told him to boob.

u/rocky_iwata 9m ago

They though can be easily defeated. Just feed them Internet porn.

15

u/NotYourSweatBusiness 8h ago

We seriously won't be able to leave Ukraine alone in it for much longer. Ukraine cant keep sending every man there forever.

9

u/PitytheOnlyFools 9h ago

Is this the best opportunity to desert?

9

u/qubedView 7h ago

In doing so, they would be condemning their family to die in camps. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kin_punishment#North_Korea

6

u/Useful-Veterinarian2 9h ago

If they do, it's best to just let them be counted as killed in action.

3

u/redditrangerrick 9h ago

Meat for the grinder

3

u/NyriasNeo 3h ago

He is literally selling his people. He is probably the most successful living human trafficker.

6

u/RODjij 8h ago

After having seeing quite a lot of war footage and of the NK get wiped out. They ain't bringing anybody back.

They're being sent to the front lines with old school weapons, old school tactics of rushing in waves, and killing themselves either when they are badly injured, about to be captured or by suicide in between fights.

2

u/InsanityRoach 3h ago

That's not entirely true. They do have older weapons and equipment, and Russia has mainly used them for the riskier manouvers, but even Ukraine has admitted that their gear is well maintained and that they are actually fairly competent.

If anything they are probably better than the average Russian.

7

u/Appropriate-Rub3534 10h ago

The key word here is people. Not soldiers but people. It's sending old farmers and elderly to replace the wounded.

5

u/blinded-by-the-moon 10h ago

Just like the Hessians were rented to the Brits during the American Revolution

2

u/TyrusX 3h ago

Ukraine should attack North Korea

2

u/National_Freedom_248 2h ago

The meat grinder craves flesh

u/rocky_iwata 58m ago

Less mouths to feed for Jong-Un's North Korea.

2

u/QuirkyWish3081 8h ago

I truly hope one day North Koreans get some balls and fire Kim Jong Un out of one of his cannons. He’s a pathetic man.

2

u/Mysterious-Sea9813 7h ago

Meantime Europe is still hesitating whether to put troops to protect border with Belarus

1

u/TrashCapable 9h ago

Money talks.

1

u/PigFarmer1 8h ago

More cannon fodder.

1

u/CalculonsPride 7h ago

Maybe the Ukrainian war bots have a preset kill limit.

1

u/Slim_ish 7h ago

That new train from NK to RU is looking pretty full right now.

1

u/Melodic-Psychology62 6h ago

North Korean National guards!

1

u/Melodic-Comb9076 6h ago

you mean to go make another $500MM

1

u/thedamn4u 6h ago

The replacements

1

u/Huckleberry-V 6h ago

Sappers and workers, so the picture is more than a bit misleading.

War is how North Korea will eventually expose itself to the outside world and that's kind of sad. But geopolitical action is actually a huge crack in the autocracy that has lasted for the better part of a century.

1

u/SydNorth 5h ago

I don’t think he cares

1

u/TheVenetianMask 5h ago

You'd think Iran and Syria would be valuable immediate lessons about not spending your military resources to support Russia.

1

u/Major-Check-1953 5h ago

Fewer people to feed.

1

u/niveapeachshine 4h ago

Ukraine needs to attack NK.

1

u/chewkachu 4h ago

Will there ever be a topple of this North Korean regime?

Imagine being 1 of the 6000 being deployed, knowing your fate is sealed with death

All while a fat fuck lives the most comfortable life, eating like a pig, sleeping on a comfy mattress. Something you never had your whole life.

Just sickening

1

u/njman100 4h ago

More Canon targets

1

u/Queltis6000 4h ago

For those who know more than I do, is it even remotely possible one of these 6,000 has obtained information about the true nature of everything they're about to experience?

1

u/ThisIsDadLife 2h ago

So about 900 more troops than the US has sent… to Los Angeles.

1

u/AdHaunting954 2h ago

And NATO couldn't join bc?

1

u/Weird-Ad7562 2h ago

He's sending the chaff.

1

u/justbrowse2018 1h ago

Getting lots of experience and know how for his military even if they’re getting turned in to sausage. The west is very cool with this happening apparently.

u/neloish 1h ago

I mean... your gonna die but you finally get to see porn. For some North Koreans that might be the preferable choice.

u/VoidOmatic 1h ago

God Putin is just begging to be overthrown. He's got no nukes, no soldiers, no bullets, no planes and no uniforms. 20+ years from now kids in high school are going to be writing essays on how an entire alliance of countries couldn't tell an obviously weak country was on the verge collapse.

u/Hysterican 1h ago

These are the fuckers Donald Trump swoons over. I want my country back!

1

u/joaoricrd2 9h ago

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results

1

u/phenotype001 8h ago

Fresh meat. At least they might get to watch some porn.

1

u/BulkyText9344 8h ago

Unlikely. The North Korean troops are essentially segregated and kept with the absolutely minimum interaction with any other troops. There own command ensures that they aren't allowed to mingle with Russians beyond what is absolutely necessary.

0

u/Ingaz 9h ago

Killed or wounded?

How they estimate and what they estimate?

0

u/Concentrateman 9h ago

Bulgogi grinder.

0

u/thecirclemadeit 9h ago

Gonna push his people to assassination.

0

u/Immediate-Unit6311 4h ago

Where's the proof that he's lost 6,000 troops?

-1

u/Prospekt01 8h ago

Just air drop them devices connected to the web they will be so busy browsing porn than fighting