The director of the National Intelligence Service of South Korea, Cho Tae-yong, informed lawmakers that his agency has reasons to believe that North Korean soldiers could face heavy casualties in Russia, as they lack knowledge of modern warfare. According to reports, Russian forces are teaching North Korean soldiers to use military equipment such as drones.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin confirmed that North Korea has deployed troops in Russia. It is estimated that around 3,000 North Korean soldiers are receiving instruction in Russia before their deployment in Ukraine. This move has raised concerns in the international community, as it could have serious consequences in Europe and the Indo-Pacific region.
For its part, the National Intelligence Service of South Korea has detected that North Korea has sent a total of 1,500 soldiers to Russia, with plans to send up to 10,000 soldiers by December. These North Korean soldiers are believed to be distributed across several Russian military bases and are being trained.
According to the service director, Cho Tae-yong, North Korea is reportedly relocating the families of the soldiers sent to Russia to isolate them. There is suspicion that North Korea has not informed its population about this deployment, but rumors have spread regarding it.
The increase in cooperation between North Korea and Russia in recent years, reflected in a defense agreement signed in June, has raised concerns in the international community. Seoul has expressed its willingness to provide assistance to Ukraine but has avoided supplying weapons directly, adhering to its policy of not providing arms to countries in active conflicts.
