The elite “Storm Corps” soldiers of North Korea, revered by the nation’s People’s Army, are likely to become expendable in the face of the seasoned Ukrainian troops, warns a former ally. This warning comes from Hyunseung Lee, who spent three and a half years serving in an artillery and reconnaissance battalion in the early 2000s.

During his service, Lee trained with the Storm Corps for six months. These are the same soldiers believed to have been stationed in Russia. With reports emerging of North Korean soldiers facing Ukrainian gunfire in the southwestern Kursk region of Russia, Lee, now 48, cautions that even the esteemed Storm Corps are ill-prepared for such a battle.

Speaking from the United States, where he settled after defecting from North Korea ten years ago, Lee stated, “They’re completely unprepared.”

Lee further shared that every North Korean male is compelled to enlist in the army at 17 and typically serves a tenure of 10 years. However, he emphasized that these soldiers, now deployed in Russia, lack any significant conflict experience.

According to Kyiv, around 11,000 North Korean soldiers have been deployed in the Kursk region, partially occupied by Ukrainian troops since their surprise intrusion into Russian territory last August. Ukraine’s military intelligence reports that Russia has supplied these North Korean soldiers with standard infantry weaponry, including assault rifles, anti-tank missiles, and grenade launchers.

Lee noted that North Korea has adopted numerous Russian weapons systems, providing some familiarity for the North Korean soldiers. However, he also pointed out that the soldiers stationed in Russia have been equipped with more advanced technology, including night-vision and thermal-imaging devices. They were also given illuminated sights. These could all pose challenges for the North Korean soldiers who are not adequately trained with this equipment.

Former Ukrainian officials predict casualty rates could reach up to 90 percent. Lee agrees, stating, “They are not well-trained, and it is a very unfamiliar environment for them.”

Lee, who co-founded the Washington-based North Korean Young Leaders Assembly, has leveraged social media to dissuade North Korean soldiers from sacrificing their lives on foreign battlefields. He highlights that there is no real incentive for them to fight, as any payments made to the soldiers will go directly to the North Korean state.

Factoring in all these considerations, Lee believes there’s a high likelihood of the North Korean soldiers defecting. This is something Kyiv has been encouraging with Korean-language offers of food and housing.

Lee’s story serves as a cautionary tale for those considering investing in or interested in the complex geopolitical landscape. It’s a sobering reminder of the human cost of conflict, and a call to support initiatives that foster peace and diplomacy.