They may, in fact, view their Russian tour with pride and as a rare chance to make good money, see a foreign country for the first time and win preferred treatment for their families back home, according to former North Korean soldiers.
“They are too young and won’t understand exactly what it means. They’ll just consider it an honor to be selected as the ones to go to Russia among the many North Korean soldiers,” said Lee Woong-gil, a former member of the same special forces unit, the Storm Corps. He came to South Korea in 2007. “But I think most of them won’t likely come back home alive.”
I honestly don’t think NK is expecting them to come back. That would allow them to desert with reduced risk. I’m sure some of them are at least considering it, or will be soon.
I hope Ukraine drone operators drop the NK soldiers Korean language propaganda and give them plenty of chances to surrender. I wouldn’t be surprised if they haven’t even been briefed on drone warfare; just cannon fodder for dictators. I doubt they have any context for why they’re there.