North Korea bolsters Russian forces with fresh troops on Kursk front
North Korea has sent additional troops to Russia as part of its ongoing support for Moscow's aggression against Ukraine, as reported by the Yonhap news agency on Thursday. This information comes from the National Intelligence Service (NIS) in Seoul, which notes that Pyongyang's troops are active again on the Kursk front.
"It seems that additional troops have been sent, but the exact number is being determined," the NIS reported.
The Yonhap agency, citing anonymous military officials, stated that "over a thousand soldiers" were sent to Russia at the end of January and February.
Their current location is unknown because the military cannot track their movements after they leave the port of Chongjin and the Najin region in northeastern North Korea. According to the sources cited, there is also no certainty about whether they will be sent to the front lines.
The NIS also confirmed that "after about a one-month break, North Korean forces re-engaged from the first week of February on the Kursk front."
According to authorities in Seoul, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent over 10,000 soldiers in 2024 as "cannon fodder" in exchange for Russian technical assistance for Pyongyang's heavily sanctioned weapons and satellite programs. Korean services estimate that about 300 soldiers have died, and 2,700 have been injured. Ukrainian authorities report about 4,000 soldiers have been wounded or killed.
No information on transport of bodies
The NIS added that despite the large number of casualties among North Korean soldiers, there are no reports of bodies being transported to North Korea. "This raises the possibility that the transport of bodies was abandoned due to costs," Yonhap writes.
Ukrainian forces entered the Kursk region on August 6, 2024. At that time, it was explained that one of the objectives of this offensive was to force the Russians to redirect some forces from the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine. Most North Korean soldiers sent to Russia are young recruits around 20 years old who have recently joined the army.
The South Korean National Intelligence Service (NIS) revealed last year that each North Korean soldier receives a salary of $2,000 per month. The media notes that this amount significantly exceeds the average annual earnings of a typical North Korean.
