North Korean men are reportedly faking tuberculosis diagnoses to evade forced deployment to the war in Russia, Newsweek reports.

Families are paying over 100 times the average monthly salary for forged medical certificates to prevent their relatives from being sent to the front.

North Korea has one of the world’s largest armies, with 1.3 million active soldiers and 7.6 million reservists. Men must serve for ten years, while women have a five-year obligation, leading many families to seek ways to avoid conscription.

According to Radio Free Asia, the cost of bribing doctors for fake tuberculosis certificates has surged fivefold in the past year—from $100 to $500. Given that the average monthly salary of a North Korean government employee is just $1–$3, this is an enormous expense. However, many are willing to pay, fearing their loved ones will not return alive.

“There is an underlying fear that if their sons join the military and are sent to Russia, the parents will never see them again alive,” a woman in Ryanggang province told the outlet, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Many North Korean soldiers say they do not know about the place of their deployment before they find themselves serving in the Russian military in Kursk Oblast. Earlier, a captured North Korean soldier who surrendered to Ukrainian forces said he was not informed in advance about being sent to Russia. Many North Koreans were reportedly shocked by the deployment and uncertain about their enemy.

Families of fallen soldiers receive official death certificates stating they died during “sacred combat training in honor of the motherland” without disclosing the actual circumstances of their deaths.

Recently, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said 3,800 North Korean troops have been killed in Kursk Oblast.

Related:

• The Telegraph: North Korea sends Seoul-targeting artillery to Russian front
• North Korean forces show signs of temporary frontline pause in Russian Kursk region after heavy losses – Sky News
• North Korea supplies 60% of Russia’s frontline ammunition for war against Ukraine, says expert
• Trump plans Kim meeting as North Korea readies more troops for Russia
• North Korean reinforcements expected in two months in Russia, NYT reports
• Moscow received 148 KN-23 ballistic missiles from Pyongyang in 2024, Ukraine’s spymaster says
• North Korean soldier refuses to drop sausage during capture in Kursk