February 28, 2025
SEOUL – North Korea appears to have deployed additional troops to support Russia in its war against Ukraine, according to South Korea’s spy agency Thursday.
The National Intelligence Service stated in a message to the press that North Korean forces were redeployed to the Kursk front in early February following a roughly one-month lull.
“The exact number is still being assessed, but there have been additional deployments,” the agency added.
On Feb. 7, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian forces had redeployed North Korean troops to the Kursk operational area, reporting that hundreds of Russian and North Korean soldiers had been killed.
According to the NIS, North Korea initially sent about 11,000 troops to Russia in October last year. These forces trained in Vladivostok before being deployed to the Kursk front, where they have been actively engaged in combat. However, battlefield losses have been significant, with approximately 4,000 casualties reported.
Reports from Ukraine suggest that North Korean forces are struggling to maintain their position. Euromaidan Press, a Kyiv-based news outlet, reported Monday that Russian forces had attempted to link up with North Korean units isolated in Nikolske, a city in eastern Ukraine approximately 700 kilometers southeast of Kursk, but their repeated efforts had failed.
Despite mounting casualties and logistical difficulties, experts suggest that Pyongyang will likely continue sending troops throughout the year to secure stronger backing from Russia and gain combat experience.
Hong Min, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification, said, “North Korea appears to have seen certain gains from its initial troop deployment. Pyongyang is likely seeking to expand its role to secure greater political and military rewards.”
“While US President Donald Trump appears to be pushing for an accelerated end to the war, both Russia and North Korea anticipate a prolonged conflict,” he said.
“North Korea is likely to expand beyond infantry forces, sending specialized units in mechanized artillery, electronic warfare and reconnaissance to gain diverse combat experience,” he added.
Earlier this year, South Korea’s military also announced that it is closely monitoring North Korea’s potential military advancements, including its ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programs, which the regime may be developing with Russian assistance in exchange for troop support.
Regarding North Korea’s latest deployment to Russia, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Thursday it is closely monitoring the situation while declining to provide further details on the scale and nature of the latest troop deployment.