South Korean National Intelligence Service (NIS) director Cho Tae-yong told lawmakers on Wednesday that 3,000 North Korean troops are already in Russia, training and preparing for deployment against Ukraine.
The U.S. government confirmed for the first time that it has seen evidence of North Korean troops in Russia.
South Korean parliamentarians who attended the briefing with Cho said the North Korean troops have been split up between several Russian military bases for training, including the use of Russian drones. Russian instructors are reportedly somewhat frustrated by the language barrier and the North Koreans’ lack of familiarity with modern military tactics.
Cho’s report said the Russians are bringing in more interpreters to help with overcoming the language barrier. He said the North Korean troops are being paid about $2,000 per month each, which is much higher than typical wages in the harsh Communist country.
Meanwhile, the North Korean government is reportedly taking steps to “isolate” the family members of soldiers deployed to Russia, to keep them quiet. This was evidently necessary because rumors of the troop deployments are spreading through North Korea like wildfire, but both Pyongyang and Moscow are still officially denying that North Korean soldiers are in Russia.
Cho’s estimate of 3,000 troops already training in Russia is double the previous estimate offered by South Korean intelligence. Cho said North Korea plans to have 10,000 troops in Russia by the end of December.
Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s Military Intelligence Directorate, said on Tuesday that Russia plans to send its North Korean mercenaries to take back the Kursk region of Russia, which was invaded and occupied by Ukrainian troops in August.
Budanov said he expected the first North Korean forces to arrive in Kursk imminent, perhaps even as early as Wednesday.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Wednesday became one of the first U.S. officials to offer public support for South Korea’s claims.
Austin said the U.S. has seen “evidence that there are DPRK troops in Russia.”
“What exactly they are doing? Left to be seen. These are things that we need to sort out,” he said.
Austin added that if North Korean soldiers join the war against Ukraine on Russia’s side, it would be a “very, very serious issue.”
South Korean officials have threatened to respond if Russia deploys North Koreans on the battlefield. The response could include sending weapons to Ukraine.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.