In June of this year, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a mutual defense and cooperation treaty, marking a significant strengthening of ties between the two nations since the Cold War. Recently, Ukraine reported that North Korean troops have arrived in the combat zone in Russia’s Kursk region, where Russian forces have been engaged in efforts to repel Ukrainian advances for several months. President Putin did not deny the presence of North Korean soldiers in Russia.
The full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia has now lasted over two years. On August 6, Ukrainian forces launched an incursion into Kursk from the northeast, catching Moscow off guard and significantly boosting the morale of the Ukrainian populace.
President Putin and Kim Jong-un’s signing of the mutual defense agreement in June had raised concerns that North Korea has long been supplying weaponry to support Russia’s aggression in Ukraine. The actual deployment of North Korean troops on the ground would symbolize a serious escalation of the conflict.
According to a report from Agence France-Presse, Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate stated today that “the first forces of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea have arrived in the combat zone of the Russia-Ukraine war,” with reports indicating these troops were observed in Kursk yesterday.
Ukrainian sources claimed that approximately 12,000 North Korean troops have been deployed to Russia, though they did not specify how many are currently in Kursk. U.S. and South Korean intelligence suggest that thousands of North Korean soldiers have been sent to Russia for training.
Putin acknowledged the deployment of North Korean soldiers to Russia, asserting, “Russia has never doubted that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is serious about cooperation with us. We coordinate closely with our North Korean friends.” He added, “What we do is our business.”
Just hours before Putin’s comments, the lower house of the Russian parliament unanimously approved a treaty with North Korea that entails mutual assistance in the event of aggression against either party. This treaty is expected to be approved by the upper house on November 6.
