THE haunting final diary entry written by a North Korean soldier sent to die for Vladimir Putin has been uncovered.
The 27-year-old fighter was killed by Ukrainian Special Forces in an operation inside the Kursk region of Russia.
The author – Jeong Kyung-hong – penned his congratulations to his comrade Song Ji Myung [or Yong] on his birthday.
It was the soldier’s heart-breaking attempt to cling onto a remnant of normality amidst the warfare hell he had been thrust into.
The entry was one of the last things he wrote before he died.
It reads: “I, having left my homeland, on unfamiliar Russian land, send birthday congratulations to my friend Song Ji-myung (Yong).
“I wish you health.
“December 9, 2024 – Jeong Kyung-hong.”
Images of the diary entry and the dead soldier were released by Ukrainian forces.
This is the first entry to be translated from the captured notebook, according to the special forces.
The deceased soldier carried a counterfeit identification card that indicated he hailed from Kyzyl in Tuva, a region situated on the southern frontier of Russia bordering Mongolia. The ID also falsely claimed that he worked as a welder.
Russia has provided similar bogus backstories for many of the North Koreans fighting against Ukraine.
It is evident they want to hide the scale of the recruitment of Pyongyang fighters, which are thought to number 12,000.
During the current week, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky revealed that the casualties among North Korean troops in the Kursk area have risen significantly, with over 3,000 soldiers reported dead or injured.
He said: “Russia is simply disposing of them in assaults.
“Why the Koreans should fight for Putin is a question that no normal person on Earth can answer.”
POV footage showing kamikaze Ukrainian drones swooping down onto North Korean soldiers was also recently released by the Ukrainian army.
It shows the soldiers scrambling and running for their lives as the drones methodically pick them off.
There are concerns that as quickly as the North Koreans are mowed down on the battlefield, Kim is intending to replace them.
South Korean intelligence last week revealed Kim’s plans to send even more troops over to Russia, and to personally inspect their training.
The Korean dictator is also thought to be mainlining huge weapons into Russia’s frontline forces.
Footage emerged recently of a train of heavy duty artillery rumbling across Russia in an early Christmas gift from Kim to Putin.
The transportation of Pukguksong-2 ballistic missiles by a military train toward the battleground suggests a potential agreement between North Korea and Russia to enhance the range of weaponry being transferred.
The Pukguksong-2 missile, like many North Korean weapons, was developed in extreme secrecy, meaning we don’t know exactly what it is capable of.
Some sources have claimed it is likely to have a range of up to 2,000km.
These missiles are relatively new so, if Kim is sending them over to Russia, it could be because he sees as an opportunity to test the weapons in a real combat scenario.
Kim’s continued interventions come as a defector revealed to The Sun that anyone caught celebrating Christmas in North Korea this season could be executed on the spot.
The dictator’s thugs have been known to prosecute people for practicing religion – and Christians in particular have been persecuted.
Timothy Cho, who escaped North Korea twice and was imprisoned four times, warned Christians risk celebrating Christmas at their own peril.
