North Korean Soldiers Ordered to Die

South Korean intelligence says North Korean troops have explicit orders

to kill themselves to avoid capture.

They say at least one soldier even shouted, "General Kim Jong-un,"

before pulling a grenade.

All the people in North Korea are brainwashed.

One of Pyongyang's highest profile defectors says when North Korean soldiers

die fighting for Russia-

... their leader praises them as heroes.

Doors open for the soldiers' grieving families.

Brand new apartments on a special street in Pyongyang, their children

promised places in elite revolutionary schools, a path to

privileged jobs.

The social status of your family would be

upgraded to a kind of, you know, elite or ruling

class. Your house, your, your parents would be

moved from countryside, a very remote area,

to the capital of North Korea, Pyongyang.

But North Korea's former deputy UK ambassador, Thae Yong-ho, says if

a soldier is captured alive, like these two carried out of Russia's

Kursk region last year, the consequences can be reversed.

There would be a very heavy punishment.

Their social status would be downgraded.

Of the thousands of North Koreans sent to fight for Russia, only two

are known to have been captured alive.

In Ukrainian captivity, with their identities concealed,

they told CNN

affiliate NBC, "I don't know if my mom is alive.

I worry she could be in trouble because of me.

If I had a hand grenade, I could have killed myself

and not become a POW."

Seoul's National Intelligence Service says they decided to go to South

Korea, arriving by their own free will earlier

this month.

These guys are not easy to capture alive.

South Korea was shocked when Ukraine's president revealed the

transfer at the

UN. Seoul wanted to keep it secret, in part to protect the soldiers and

their families. But Ukraine says there was no confidentiality

agreement.

I am protected, uh, by a South Korean

bodyguard 24 hours.

Thae defected with his wife and two sons.

I met the brother and sister he left behind in Pyongyang.

In what they called a voluntary interview, they disowned him.

In South Korea, Thae said that he did this to break the slavery

chain.

"100% evil propaganda," his sister told me.

Thae feared his family was being forced to speak against him.

His brother said, "If I don't wash this sin away by myself,

my

sons and future generations will have to work harder to pay for this."

Now, Thae says Ukraine should target North

Korean troops with leaflets

and loudspeakers, telling them they don't have to die.

They are very young, in early 20s. They have a very bright

future.

But Ukraine says thousands more may soon be headed to battle

in the name of their leader.

Will Ripley, CNN, Taipei.