About 5,000 North Korean soldiers have been sent to Russia since September to participate in "rebuilding infrastructure", a South Korean lawmaker said today, quoted by Agence France-Presse, after being informed by intelligence services, BTA reports.
"About 5,000 North Korean soldiers have been deployed to Russia in stages since September and are expected to be mobilized to rebuild infrastructure," said Yi Song-gun. "There are persistent signs of training and selection of military personnel for additional deployments," he added.
According to the intelligence service, about 10,000 North Korean soldiers are currently stationed near the Russian-Ukrainian border.
North Korea is actively participating in Russia's war, providing thousands of soldiers who, between late 2024 and spring 2025, repelled Ukrainian troops who had captured a small part of the border Kursk region.
About 600 North Korean soldiers have been killed and thousands wounded in the fighting, South Korean intelligence services also reported.
According to experts, Pyongyang receives significant financial assistance, military technology, food and energy assistance from Moscow. This is a way to circumvent international sanctions imposed on North Korea over its nuclear and missile programs, AFP notes.
Seoul announced that North Korea fired several artillery shells yesterday, an hour before US Defense Secretary Pete Hegsett visited the inter-Korean border.
According to Lee Song-gun, however, South Korean intelligence believes that Kim Jong-un is ready for dialogue with the United States and will "try to establish contact under appropriate conditions".