Seoul: A North Korean soldier captured by Ukrainians has died from his injuries.

A soldier from North Korea, who fought alongside Russia against Ukraine and was captured, has died from his injuries, reported Yonhap on Friday, December 27, citing South Korean intelligence sources.

"We have received confirmation from the intelligence agency of a friendly country that the North Korean soldier, captured alive on December 26, passed away some time ago as his condition worsened," stated the National Intelligence Service (NIS) of South Korea.

The news of the soldier's death emerged just hours after Seoul confirmed that the North Korean soldier had been captured by Ukraine for the first time.

The day prior, photos purportedly of the captured North Korean soldier were shared on Ukrainian Telegram channels.

The Telegram channel "Military" claimed that the soldier was captured in the Kursk region. No other confirmations of this information were available.

Earlier reports from Seoul indicated that North Korea may have sent up to 12,000 troops to Russia. U.S. intelligence asserted that North Korean soldiers are participating in battles in the Kursk region.

According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, over 3,000 North Korean soldiers have been killed or injured during the fighting in the Kursk region.

South Korean intelligence claimed this week that Pyongyang is preparing to send a new batch of soldiers to Russia, as well as "for troop rotation or reinforcement."