South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) told the country’s lawmakers on November 20 that some North Korean troops have been assigned to a Russian airborne brigade and naval infantry unit and begun participating in combat against Ukrainian forces.
In a closed-door briefing to the National Assembly’s Intelligence Committee, officials from the NIS said they believe approximately 11,000 North Korean soldiers were transferred to the Kursk region in western Russia in late October after completing “adjustment training,” according to People Power Party (PPP) Rep. Lee Seong-kweun and Democratic Party Rep. Park Sun-won.
The NIS officials told lawmakers the North Korean troops are receiving training in anti-drone tactics from their Russian counterparts and that some have already participated in battle.
According to information recently released by South Korean, U.S. and Ukrainian officials, the North’s troops have been deployed to the Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces launched a counter-invasion in August to divert Russian military manpower from eastern Ukraine.
NIS officials also told lawmakers some North Korean soldiers may have already been killed or injured while fighting, adding that the NIS is currently analyzing combat circumstances, Russian strategies involving the North’s troops and the number of casualties incurred.Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said in Washington on Tuesday that Russian casualties currently average around 1,200 a day but did not provide a number for dead or injured North Korean soldiers.
Singh also said the United States views North Korea as cobelligerents with Russia.
The NIS noted that recent media reports on North Korean soldiers being killed or taken prisoner appear to conflict with each other or with official assessments thus far, adding that the agency is currently conducting its own analyses.
The spy agency also told lawmakers that the North appears to have shipped more munitions to Russia to support its invasion of Ukraine.
The arms shipped by Pyongyang include not only missiles, but also 170-millimeter (6.69-inch) self-propelled artillery systems and 240-millimeter multiple rocket launchers, according to the NIS.
PPP Rep. Kang Dae-sik said last month that North Korea is running its munitions factories at full capacity to support Russia, citing a report by South Korea’s Defense Ministry.
The report estimated that the North had delivered 20,000 containers likely filled with munitions to Russia via the northeastern port city of Rajin since the shipments were first detected via satellite reconnaissance last year.
If completely filled, the containers could hold up to 9.4 million 152-millimeter shells, the report said.
Of the 200 munitions factories presumed to be in North Korea, the report said the North appears to be operating those that produce weapons bound for Russia at “full capacity.”
According to the NIS, Choe Son-hui, North Korea’s foreign minister, may have held “very important” talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on “sensitive” issues during her visit to Moscow earlier this month, which highlighted deepening ties between the two countries.
The NIS also noted that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may visit Russia, but did not specify further.
BY MICHAEL LEE [lee.junhyuk@joongang.co.kr]
