Yonhap: North Korea will send several thousand troops to Russia
South Korean intelligence believes that the DPRK has already sent about ten thousand of its military to Russia, and about five thousand more are in the process of being transferred. According to the intelligence services, Pyongyang has been transferring fighters to the Russian Federation since September, and in return it receives developments in the field of rocket science from Moscow. It is claimed that the North Korean military will help restore the infrastructure in its area. They have already participated in the battles for the Kursk region, and in Pyongyang they were promised to erect a monument.
North Korea has sent about ten thousand of its troops to Russia, and another five thousand troops will be sent to help restore infrastructure in the war zone, the South Korean Yonhap news agency writes, citing data from the National Intelligence Service.
On November 4, South Korean intelligence reported during a press conference that since September, the DPRK has consistently deployed about five thousand North Korean military construction units, probably to restore infrastructure. According to them, about a thousand North Korean sappers have been deployed to Russia to conduct mine clearance in the area of the SVR.
Intelligence agencies suspect that Russia is allegedly transferring its technologies in the field of manufacturing modern missiles and drones in exchange for the help of military personnel.
"As the North Korean military increasingly visits Russia, we are closely monitoring whether there is any transfer of confidential technology from Russia," the intelligence agency said.
Close cooperation
On October 27, North Korean Foreign Minister Choi Song-hee paid a visit to Moscow. She met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and then with President Vladimir Putin.
"Our relations have received an additional and very powerful impetus in the development of the fundamental agreements reached by our leaders in June 2024 during the Pyongyang summit," Lavrov said at a meeting with his counterpart.
Putin also shared that during his visit to Beijing in September, he and Kim Jong-un discussed relations between the two countries and the prospects for their development. According to the head of state, "everything is going according to plan." And the head of the North Korean Foreign Ministry promised Moscow continued support for "the policy of the Russian leadership aimed at upholding the sovereignty of the state, territorial integrity, and international justice."
Lavrov met with Kim Jong-un in July this year and expressed "sincere gratitude for Pyongyang's consistent and principled support for Russia's special military operation and the participation of soldiers of the Korean People's Army in expelling Ukrainian nationalists and foreign mercenaries from the territory of the Kursk region."
"The fighting Buryats"
Reports of the participation of North Korean soldiers in the battles for the Kursk region appeared in 2024. Moscow has not confirmed this information for a long time. However, on April 26, 2025, when the Kursk region was liberated, the head of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Valery Gerasimov, confirmed that the DPRK military had helped the Russian army.:
"I would like to separately note the participation in the liberation of the border areas of the Kursk region of the military personnel of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, who, in accordance with the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement between our countries, provided significant assistance in defeating the entrenched AFU group."
A few days later, Kim Jong-un called the participation of his fellow citizens in his "sacred mission" to strengthen friendship with Russia. He also announced his intention to erect a monument in Pyongyang to North Korean soldiers who fought in the Kursk region.
According to military commander Alexander Kotz, at first, the DPRK soldiers were trained at training grounds, got acquainted with the tactics of conducting combat operations, learned how to control drones and learned more about field realities.
The Russian military noted that their North Korean colleagues are distinguished by their dedication, discipline, endurance and disregard for death. Mostly, young North Koreans who have received good military training in their homeland have come to Russia.
"The Allies made a great contribution to the liberation of the Korenevsky district, and in the battles near the Old and New Sorochiny, and in the breakthrough to Kurilovka.… They had a strict rule not to be captured alive. And don't give up voluntarily," said Kotz.
Alyona Fomina
