SEOUL: Around 3,000 North Korean soldiers have been sent to Russia to support its war efforts in Ukraine, with a total of 10,000 expected to be deployed by December, according to South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS). This information was disclosed during a closed-door meeting with lawmakers of the parliamentary intelligence committee.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the NIS confirmed North Korea’s commitment to dispatching approximately 10,000 soldiers to assist Russia in its conflict with Ukraine. Lawmakers were informed that about 1,500 soldiers were transported in a first batch last week, with an additional 1,500 soldiers having arrived in Russia since then. This deployment is part of a larger strategy believed to have been discussed between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin, following a mutual defense pact signed in June.
Rep. Park Sun-won of the main opposition Democratic Party noted that the North Korean troops are currently stationed at military facili
ties in Russia and are in the process of acclimating to their new environment. While Russian instructors have expressed confidence in the soldiers’ physical and mental capabilities, they have also pointed out a lack of understanding of modern warfare tactics, such as drone usage, and have anticipated multiple casualties among the North Korean forces.
Additionally, the NIS reported indications that North Korea has relocated the families of the deployed soldiers to an undisclosed location to maintain confidentiality and control over the situation. The implications of this troop dispatch are believed to include cementing military ties with Russia, leveraging Russian support in Korean Peninsula matters, addressing economic difficulties, and modernizing North Korea’s military forces.
Rep. Lee Seong-kweun of the ruling People Power Party mentioned that Russia is expected to provide compensation to North Korea in return for the troop deployment, reflecting the strategic interests of both nations in this arrangemen
t.