North Korea confirms troop deployment to support Russia in Kursk region

North Korea officially confirmed on Monday that it deployed troops to Russia to aid Moscow's efforts in reclaiming its Kursk region, marking Pyongyang’s first involvement in a major conflict since the Korean War.
According to a statement by North Korea’s Central Military Commission, carried by state media, the deployment was made under a mutual defence treaty signed by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin in June 2024.
Kim said the decision was made to “annihilate and wipe out the Ukrainian neo-Nazi occupiers and liberate the Kursk area in cooperation with the Russian armed forces,” as per news agency AP. He added, “They who fought for justice are all heroes and representatives of the honour of the motherland,” with plans underway to erect a monument in Pyongyang to honour the fallen soldiers.
While North Korea did not disclose the exact number of troops sent or casualties suffered, South Korean intelligence had earlier estimated that Pyongyang dispatched between 10,000 and 12,000 troops last year, with around 4,000 reported killed or wounded.
South Korea's military also assessed that about 3,000 additional North Korean troops were sent earlier this year.
Despite Ukrainian forces still claiming presence in parts of Kursk, Russian chief of staff Valery Gerasimov informed President Putin on Saturday that Russian forces, aided by North Korean troops, had fully reclaimed the region. Gerasimov praised the North Koreans for their "high professionalism, fortitude, courage and heroism in battle".
However, Ukraine’s general staff countered these claims, insisting that defensive operations continued in Kursk. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also reiterated on Sunday that Ukrainian forces were "maintaining our presence on Russian territory," according to news agency AFP.
Experts believe North Korea’s public acknowledgement was pre-agreed with Russia. Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, was quoted by AFP as saying that Pyongyang likely calculated that the benefits of Russian compensation outweighed potential damage to its international image.
Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts to end the ongoing war are intensifying. US President Donald Trump and Zelenskyy discussed a possible ceasefire during their meeting in Vatican City over the weekend. Trump, who previously expressed confidence in brokering peace, later expressed doubts about Putin’s willingness to end the conflict.
North Korea’s deepening involvement with Russia has raised concerns in Washington and Seoul. There are fears Moscow could reward Pyongyang with advanced military technology, boosting its nuclear weapons program. South Korean and Western intelligence agencies have also warned of the extensive arms supplies North Korea has been providing to Russia.