Defectors' group delivers leaflets encouraging defection among N. Korean troops in Russia to Ukraine

SEOUL, Nov. 11 (Yonhap) -- A group of North Korean defectors delivered propaganda leaflets to Ukraine on Monday, encouraging North Korean soldiers deployed in Russia to defect, as thousands of North Korean troops have been sent to support Russia's war against Ukraine.

The "Defectors' Propaganda Corps," comprising North Korean soldiers-turned-defectors and defectors whose sons served in the North Korean military, delivered the propaganda leaflets to the Embassy of Ukraine in Seoul for the distribution to North Korean soldiers in Russia, the group said.

The leaflets carry messages encouraging North Korean troops to defect, along with instructions on how to defect. Audio files with similar messages were also delivered to the embassy.

The group's leader, Jang Se-yul, was scheduled to deliver similar leaflets to Ukrainian military officials in Brussels, Belgium, later in the day (local time), along with a letter advising Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to utilize psychological warfare against North Korean soldiers.

In the letter, Jang would stress that "the Ukrainian military could secure mass surrender and defection among North Korean soldiers if proactive psychological warfare is mobilized."

The United States has confirmed that as many as 10,000 North Korean troops have been sent to Russia's western border region of Kursk with the possibility of engaging in combat against Ukrainian forces.

pbr@yna.co.kr
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