South Korean intelligence: North Korean troops in Russia have halted combat operations

The National Intelligence Service of South Korea (NIS) reported on February 4 that North Korean troops deployed to Russia’s Kursk region have not participated in combat since mid-January.

This follows a January 31 report by The New York Times (NYT) stating that North Korean forces deployed to Russia had disappeared from the front lines.

The NIS suggested that heavy casualties among North Korean soldiers may be a factor behind their withdrawal from combat, though it is still assessing the exact reasons.

According to Radio Free Asia (RFA) on January 31, Colonel Oleksandr Kindratenko, spokesperson for Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces, told the Ukrainian media outlet Ukrainska Pravda that North Korean troops had not been seen on the front lines for about three weeks, suggesting that they may have suffered significant casualties and retreated.

The NYT, citing Ukrainian and U.S. officials, also reported on January 31 that North Korean troops had been absent from the Kursk region for two weeks.

According to the NIS, North Korea sent approximately 11,000 troops to Russia in November 2023, of which an estimated 3,000 have been killed or wounded.

BY YOUNGNAM KIM [kim.youngnam@koreadaily.com]