In a recent development, U.S. officials revealed for the first time that North Korea has dispatched at least 3,000 soldiers to Russia, where they are undergoing training, potentially for deployment in Ukraine. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin described the situation as “very, very serious,” particularly if North Korean forces were preparing to engage in combat alongside Russian troops, as alleged by Kyiv. However, he noted that the specifics of their involvement remain uncertain.
“There is evidence that there are DPRK troops in Russia,” Austin stated during a press briefing, referencing North Korea by its formal name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. White House spokesperson John Kirby later confirmed that these North Korean troops had been transported by ship from the Wonsan region in North Korea to Vladivostok, Russia, in early to mid-October. From there, they were sent to three military training sites in eastern Russia.
Kirby emphasized that if these troops were deployed to engage in fighting against Ukraine, they would be considered legitimate targets. “They’re fair game,” he asserted. “The Ukrainian military will defend themselves against North Korean soldiers the same way they’re defending themselves against Russian soldiers.”
In South Korea, lawmakers reported that North Korea had pledged to provide a total of about 10,000 troops, with deployment expected to be completed by December, according to intelligence briefings. The current estimate of 3,000 troops is double the previous figures regarding the number of North Korean soldiers in Russia.
Park Sun-won, a member of the parliamentary intelligence committee, noted that signs of troop training within North Korea had been detected as early as September and October. He indicated that these troops appear to be adapting to various training facilities in Russia.
Austin suggested that the potential deployment of North Korean forces could signal deeper issues within the Russian military, particularly regarding manpower shortages, following extensive casualties on both sides in the ongoing conflict.
The Kremlin has previously dismissed South Korean claims about troop deployment as “fake news,” while a North Korean UN representative described them as “groundless rumors” during a meeting in New York. Despite their denials of weapons transfers, Moscow and Pyongyang have expressed intentions to strengthen military ties, culminating in a mutual defense treaty signed during a summit in June.
In a previous report, South Korea’s national intelligence service indicated that North Korea had already sent 1,500 special forces personnel to Russia, likely for combat after completing training. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also accused Pyongyang of preparing to send 10,000 soldiers and has urged international allies to respond to the evidence of North Korean involvement in the conflict.
Lee Seong-kweun, a South Korean lawmaker, commented on North Korean authorities’ efforts to control information regarding troop deployments and reported relocations of the families of these soldiers to prevent rumors from spreading. Additionally, reports suggested that Russia had recruited a significant number of interpreters for the North Korean troops while providing training in military equipment, including drones.
“Russian instructors have found that while North Korean soldiers possess excellent physical attributes and morale, they lack understanding of modern warfare techniques, like drone strikes,” Lee noted, cautioning that this could lead to high casualties if they were sent to the frontlines.
U.S. officials, speaking anonymously, indicated that over 600,000 Russian troops have been either killed or wounded in the conflict. Austin speculated that the North Korean deployment could reflect a serious shortage of Russian recruits, implying that President Vladimir Putin may be in a more precarious situation than many realize.
On Tuesday, the South Korean presidential office urged an immediate withdrawal of North Korean troops from Russia and warned that it might consider providing lethal weapons to Ukraine if military cooperation between North Korea and Russia escalates further.
