Seoul says how many North Korean soldiers died in Russia's war with Ukraine
Illustrative photo: South Korean intelligence revealed how many North Koreans died in the war against Ukraine (Getty Images)
North Korea has already lost about 4,700 troops, including wounded and killed, during fighting in Russia's Kursk region, according to Reuters.
According to South Korean intelligence, a total of 15,000 soldiers from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) have been deployed by Russia to fight in the Kursk region. North Korea has lost approximately 4,700 troops, including 600 dead.
It is also noted that in exchange for sending troops and supplying weapons to Russia, the DPRK received assistance from Moscow in the form of spy satellites, drones, and anti-aircraft missiles.
"After six months of participation in the war, the North Korean military has become less inept, and its combat capability has significantly improved as it becomes accustomed to using new weapons such as drones," said Lee Seong-kweun, a member of the Parliamentary Intelligence Committee.
Seong-kweun also added that the bodies of deceased DPRK soldiers are cremated on the territory of Russian Kursk before being sent back to their homeland.
DPRK troops in Russia
Currently, Russia is actively developing military-economic cooperation with the DPRK. Since last year, North Korea has been supplying its partner with ammunition and missiles. In the summer of 2024, the countries signed a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement, and already in the fall, information emerged that North Korea had transferred military personnel to Russia, some of whom were eventually deployed to the Kursk region.
Initially, Russia ignored reports about the presence of North Korean troops at the front, even after two DPRK soldiers were captured by Ukraine’s Defense Forces.
Recently, however, the Russian Defense Ministry acknowledged for the first time the participation of North Korean troops in the war against Ukraine.
