North Korea Presumably Preparing to Deploy More Troops to Russia, Says South Korean Intelligence

North Korea appears to be ramping up preparations for deploying additional troops to Russia while also pursuing plans for a potential launch of a spy satellite or an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), Yonhap news agency reported on January 24, citing South Korea’s military.

“With around four months having passed since the deployment of troops to the war between Russia and Ukraine, [North Korea] is assumed to be accelerating preparations for additional measures and deployment amid multiple casualties and occurrence of prisoners,” the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.

The agency reports that according to South Korea’s and the United States’ assessments, North Korea has sent approximately 11,000 troops to aid Russia in its war against Ukraine. According to Seoul’s intelligence agency, at least 300 North Korean soldiers have been killed, with around 2,700 others wounded.

The JCS anticipates that North Korea will persist in preparing for launches of advanced weapons, including a spy satellite or an ICBM, though it noted there are currently no immediate indications of such activities.

“While no imminent signs of a missile launch are detected since Trump took office, preparations for a spy satellite or an ICBM seem to be continuing,” the South’s military said.

The JCS noted that North Korea seems prepared to carry out provocations at any moment, potentially involving short-range ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, or balloons carrying debris.

On January 21, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that 4,000 North Korean soldiers, out of 12,000 deployed, have been killed in battles on the Kursk front.

On December 14, Zelenskyy confirmed that Russia had deployed North Korean soldiers for the first time to attack Ukrainian positions in Russia’s Kursk region.