[News Today] DEAD NK SOLDIER HAD SAMSUNG PHONE

[LEAD]
Ukrainian forces have found a Samsung phone among the belongings of a North Korean soldier killed in action. Also found was a letter from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The letter, believed to be a New Year's message, wished the soldiers a safe return.

[REPORT]
Ukraine's Special Operations Forces have announced on social media that two North Korean soldiers dispatched to Russia had been killed in the Kursk region.

Photos of the deceased soldiers show them armed with protective gear, rifles and thermal imaging scope.

What draws particular attention is a mobile phone with a clearly visible Samsung mark.

There is also a slip of paper with Ukrainian phrases such as "Hands up" and "Drop your weapon" written in Korean sounding out the Ukrainian pronunciation in Korean letters. The soldiers apparently carried it in case they were taken captive alive.

A letter that appears to be a New Year message from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un for the dispatched soldiers was also found.

In the letter, Kim expressed his appreciation for the soldiers' service and wished them to return unharmed and in good health.

The letter appears to be identical to the one that was said to have been found in the Kursk region in a recent report by The Washington Post.

The Washington Post wrote that Kim's message was presumably written down by North Korean soldiers who had listened to their commanders relay the message.