North Korea Silences Families of Soldiers Killed in Ukraine With Non-Disclosure Agreements

Families of North Korean soldiers who died in combat in Ukraine are being forced to sign non-disclosure agreements when receiving death certificates, according to international intelligence group InformNapalm on January 5.

The information is based on translations of reports and testimonies published by Radio Free Asia (RFA).

Anonymous sources revealed that these NDAs are part of an effort by North Korean authorities to suppress information about the soldiers’ deaths, which allegedly occurred during their deployment to support Russia in its war against Ukraine.

“On December 18, my mother and I were informed that the party committee in Kaechon was summoning us to a provincial-level event. When we arrived in Pyongsong, we received the death certificate for my younger brother, who served in the special operations forces,” one source told RFA.

At the event, officials claimed the soldiers died during “sacred military exercises critical to the nation’s honor.” The source noted that over 10 families participated in the event, most of them related to soldiers from the elite ‘Storm Corps’.

“Most citizens know that soldiers from the ‘Storm Corps’ were deployed to the Russia-Ukraine war. Families of the fallen also suspect their relatives died after being sent to Russia. However, the authorities forced us to provide fingerprints on a document that forbids us from speaking about anything related to their deaths. We complied and left in tears,” the source said.

Another similar event reportedly took place on December 27 in Tokchon, according to additional sources.

Typically, in cases of deaths during military exercises or accidents, the soldiers’ units notify families with details about the cause and location of death. This time, however, the ruling party, not the military, issued the death certificates. Families received no information about the circumstances or locations of their relatives’ deaths.

Families of the deceased reportedly receive state benefits, including preferential access to goods and advantages in personnel policies. Despite this, North Korean officials have not publicly acknowledged any casualties among their forces.

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shared new details about the treatment of North Korean soldiers fighting for Russia, revealing that their faces are being burned to prevent them from being identified.