North Korea boosts troop support for Russia in Ukraine conflict
According to the Yonhap news agency on Thursday, North Korea has dispatched additional troops to Russia, continuing its support for Moscow's aggression against Ukraine. The agency cited the National Intelligence Service (NIS) in Seoul, which notes that Pyongyang's troops are once again mobilised on the Kursk front.
The NIS reported that additional troops have been deployed, though the exact number is still being confirmed.
The Yonhap agency, referencing unnamed military officials, noted that "over a thousand soldiers" were sent to Russia at the end of January and February.
Their current deployment is unknown as the military cannot track their movements after they leave the port of Chongjin and the Najin region in north-eastern North Korea. According to the sources cited, there is also no certainty about whether they will be sent to the front.
The NIS also confirmed that "after about a month's pause, North Korean forces re-engaged from the first week of February on the Kursk front."
The authorities in Seoul reported that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent over 10,000 soldiers in 2024 as "cannon fodder" in exchange for Russian technical support for Pyongyang's heavily sanctioned weapons and satellite programmes. Korean agencies estimate that approximately 300 soldiers have died and around 2,700 have been injured. Ukrainian authorities speak of 4,000 either wounded or killed.
No information on transport of bodies
The NIS added that despite the high number of casualties among North Korean soldiers, there are no reports of bodies being repatriated to North Korea. "This raises the possibility that the transport of bodies was abandoned due to costs," writes Yonhap.
Ukrainian forces entered the Kursk region on 6 August 2024. At that time, it was explained that one aim of this offensive was to compel the Russians to redirect some forces from Donbas in eastern Ukraine. Most North Korean soldiers sent to Russia are young recruits around 20 years old who have recently joined the army.
Last year, the South Korean National Intelligence Service (NIS) disclosed that each North Korean soldier receives a salary of approximately £1,630 per month. The media notes that this sum significantly surpasses the average annual income of an ordinary North Korean.
