North Korean troops have not been seen on the frontlines in Russia’s Kursk region for several weeks, a Ukrainian military official said Friday, amid reports of mass casualties among Pyongyang’s forces.

This photo released on December 31, 2024, shows what the Kalma beach resort looks like (Picture: AFP via ) Would you ever swap Benidorm for a sunny holiday at a brand new beach resort in North Korea opening this summer?

Some units of the contingent of more than ten thousand North Korean soldiers who joined the Russian forces fighting the Ukrainian army in the Russian Kursk region have been withdrawn from the front line due to the high number of casualties.

North Koreans are privately questioning why Ukraine has suddenly become their enemy, sources told Radio Free Asia.

North Korea sent its best troops to aid Russia in its war against Ukraine. But after months of suffering severe losses, they have been taken off the front line.

Coupled with disorder in the Russian ranks, and Putin’s “meat-grinder” tactics, North Korean troops have endured a staggering number of casualties and even ended up fending for themselves in some scenarios, according to Ukrainian officials.

All North Korean recruits are taught a song that includes a verse about saving their last bullet for themselves to avoid capture, one former soldier told NBC News.

North Korea’s leader has grown more assertive since their last efforts at diplomacy ended in failure — and now has Russia at his side.

HUNDREDS of Brits have signed up to visit the “North Korean Benidorm” when it opens – despite dire warnings to would-be tourists. Kim Jong-un has struggled for years to launch

The resort in Wonsan, at a former missile launch site, got its nickname after Kim Jong-un reportedly sent a fact-finding mission to Spain 's Costa Blanca in 2017.

North Korea appears to be accelerating its military reconnaissance satellite program through Russian cooperation.