Kursk Combat Casualties
Seoul
Around 2,000 North Korean soldiers sent to fight alongside Russia in Ukraine have been killed, according to South Korea’s spy agency, the National Intelligence Service (NIS), a lawmaker said on Tuesday.
Lawmaker Lee Seong-kweun briefed reporters after receiving the updated assessment from the NIS. Earlier this year, in April, the agency had estimated at least 600 North Korean troops had died. The new estimate reflects updated intelligence and battlefield reports.
North Korea reportedly sent over 10,000 soldiers to Russia in 2024, mainly to the Kursk region, along with artillery, missiles, and long-range rocket systems. The NIS also said Pyongyang plans to deploy another 6,000 soldiers and engineers to Russia, of which around 1,000 combat engineers have already arrived.
Earlier this year, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said North Korea would send builders and deminers to support operations in the Kursk region. North Korea confirmed its troop deployment only in April and acknowledged casualties, marking rare admission of involvement in the Russia-Ukraine war.
State media in North Korea has shown leader Kim Jong Un meeting families of fallen soldiers, offering condolences, and honoring soldiers with medals and flowers. Images depicted Kim embracing returning soldiers and kneeling before portraits of the deceased.
The troop deployment follows a military deal signed between Russia and North Korea last year, which included a mutual defence clause, during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Pyongyang. The arrangement underscores growing military cooperation between the two nations amidst the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
