North Korea's Hidden Casualties: The Shocking Toll in Russia’s War Revealed

As reported by South Korea's intelligence agency, approximately 4,700 North Korean troops have reportedly perished This information was disclosed to legislators on Wednesday.

This disclosure follows North Korea's initial official acknowledgment that It sent combat troops to assist Russia. In recapturing portions of the Kursk area that were previously seized by an unexpected Ukrainian attack in the previous year.

In a confidential meeting with a parliamentary committee, South Korea's National Intelligence Service stated that North Korea's The troops had experienced 4,700 casualties. Among these were 600 deaths, revealed by legislator Lee Seong Kweon during the meeting.

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Lee informed the media that based on information from the NIS, approximately 2,000 injured North Korean troops were transferred back to their country through either air or railway between January and March. Additionally, the NIS mentioned that fallen North Korean soldiers had been cremated in Russia before their remains were returned home.

Last Monday, North Korea declared that their leader, Kim Jong Un, decided to dispatch troops to "eradicate and obliterate the Ukrainian neo-Nazis occupying territory and free the Kursk region alongside Russian military units."

Following this, Russian President Vladimir Putin showed appreciation to North Korea, promising not to overlook the efforts and sacrifices of these soldiers.

Kim and Putin both affirmed that the North Korean deployment was executed pursuant to their nations' significant 2024 defense pact, requiring each party to offer assistance should either be subjected to an attack.

The United States, South Korea, along with their allies, assert that North Korea has been providing substantial amounts of conventional weaponry to restock Russia’s diminished supplies. They believe that as an exchange, Russia is offering military and economic support to North Korea.

Authorities from the U.S., South Korea, and Ukraine have stated that North Korea sent anywhere from 10,000 to 12,000 soldiers to Russia during the previous autumn.

At its Wednesday briefing, the National Intelligence Service (NIS) disclosed that they suspect Russia has provided North Korea with anti-aircraft missiles, electronic warfare systems, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and technologies for launching surveillance satellites. This information was shared by Kim Byung-kee, an additional member of parliament present at the NIS meeting.

Kim referenced the NIS as indicating that 15,000 workers from North Korea have been sent to Russia through joint industrial collaboration initiatives. The legislator pointed out that the worth of North Korean missiles and artillery provided to Russia totals several billion dollars; however, the NIS hasn’t found evidence suggesting that Russia has made monetary payments back to North Korea in return for these weapons.

Troops from North Korea who are presently engaged in battle for Russia in the Kursk Oblast might be redeployed to fight in Ukraine, say analysts and Ukrainian authorities speaking with the Kyiv Independent.

“If the Kremlin deploys North Korean forces onto Ukrainian soil, it would indicate that North Korea is engaged in an all-out war with Ukraine,” said Oleksandr Merezhko, head of the parliamentary foreign affairs committee, to the Kyiv Independent. “Putin realizes that if he proceeds, U.S. President Donald Trump will likely respond quite forcefully,” Merezhko noted.