About 600 North Korean soldiers killed in Kursk Oblast – Seoul

Around 600 North Korean soldiers have been killed during Russia’s war against Ukraine, including while participating in combat operations in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, said a South Korean lawmaker, citing intelligence reports.

Source: Reuters, BBC News Russia, Yonhap

Quote from Reuters: "About 600 North Korean troops have been killed fighting for Russia against Ukraine."

Quote from Lee Seong-kweun, a member of the parliamentary intelligence committee, after being briefed by South Korea's National Intelligence Service: "At present, North Korean troop casualties are estimated at approximately 4,700, including approximately 600 dead."

Details: Lee stated that since the beginning of the year, approximately 2,000 North Korean troops had been returned to the DPRK. These soldiers are reportedly being held in isolation in Pyongyang and other locations.

"As far as I understand, the bodies of the fallen soldiers were cremated on site in Russia’s Kursk Oblast before being transported back to North Korea," Lee Seong-kweun said.

South Korean intelligence reports that North Korea has deployed a total of 15,000 troops to Russia in two stages.

The North Korean military has reportedly shown signs of improved combat capabilities.

South Korean intelligence has not yet detected any signs that a new group of North Korean troops has been deployed, but has not ruled out the possibility that this could happen.

Background:

• In January, South Korean intelligence reported that at least 300 North Korean soldiers had been killed and another 2,700 wounded in the war against Ukraine.
• At the 25th meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group at Ramstein Air Base in Germany on 9 January, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy gave a slightly different figure. He said that the losses of the North Korean military fighting against Ukraine then amounted to 4,000 wounded and killed.
• In April, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un confirmed the deployment of troops to Russia to fight against Ukraine, stating that this complies with the provisions of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty between North Korea and Russia.
• Shortly afterwards, Russian leader Vladimir Putin also confirmed the involvement of North Korean troops on Russia’s side in the war against Ukraine and "thanked" them.
• The US State Department has reacted by expressing "concern", while the European Union called it "a desperation call from Russia".

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