Seoul, August 23: A South Korean lawmaker reported on Sunday that there are currently no indications that North Korea plans to send additional troops to Russia in the near future. This information comes from a military report by the South Korean army.
According to Yoo Yong-won, a member of the main opposition People Power Party, North Korea is still preparing for the possibility of deploying more soldiers in the future.
The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) stated in a report submitted to the lawmaker, “North Korea continues to prepare for deployment, but there are no immediate signs of sending additional troops.”
This assessment follows claims made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last month, stating that Russia is preparing to bring in an additional 30,000 North Korean soldiers to aid in the war against Ukraine from the southwestern border region.
A military official confirmed that North Korea appears to be making preparations for potential internal deployments. However, no ground-level activities have been observed that would indicate actual deployment preparations.
Last week, Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, dismissed Zelensky’s claims as “completely unfounded.”
According to DIA estimates, North Korea has sent over 16,000 soldiers to Russia since October 2024. Many of these soldiers are believed to have been killed or injured in combat. The intelligence agency also reported that Pyongyang has provided Russia with over 15 million artillery shells.
Meanwhile, earlier this month, Kim Jong-un sent a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin expressing hope for an even better future for the relationship between the two countries.
According to North Korea’s state news agency KCNA, Kim expressed confidence that Russia would successfully fulfill its objectives of protecting its sovereignty, security interests, and regional integrity.
Kim’s message was a response to a congratulatory note from Putin, sent on the occasion of the 81st anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule (1910-1945).
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