Seoul: North Korea is anticipated to send additional troops to bolster Russia's military efforts in Ukraine by July or August, as disclosed by South Korea's spy agency to lawmakers on Thursday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the National Intelligence Service (NIS) delivered this assessment during a confidential briefing with the parliamentary intelligence committee. Reports from Russian media indicate that North Korea plans to deploy 5,000 military construction workers and 1,000 sappers to Russia's Kursk region, marking a potential intensification of military cooperation between the two nations.
Lawmakers Rep. Park Sun-won of the ruling Democratic Party and Rep. Lee Seong-kweun of the main opposition People Power Party, who were present at the briefing, informed reporters that North Korea appears to have initiated a recruitment drive for this additional deployment to Russia. Following a visit from Russia's Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu to Pyongyang, where he met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Russian media reported plans for the dispatch of thousands of military construction workers to the Kursk front line.
The NIS also highlighted North Korea's substantial support for Russia through the provision of over 10 million artillery shells, missiles, and long-range weapons, in exchange for economic cooperation and technical support from Moscow. This support has significantly bolstered Russia's war efforts, with the NIS noting that Russia currently controls approximately 81 percent of the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and Luhansk.
Additionally, the NIS mentioned that Ukrainian intelligence is raising the possibility of a Russian offensive between July and August.
Turning to the Middle East, the NIS warned of the potential for renewed conflict between Israel and Iran, despite the current ceasefire. The agency suggested that Israel might resume hostilities based on domestic political factors, while Iran could reengage in the conflict to reassert its influence following internal unrest.
In response to these developments, the South Korean government is taking precautionary measures to ensure the safety of its nationals in the region, securing operations in the Strait of Hormuz, and enhancing monitoring of potential disruptions in crude oil and other critical supply chains, according to lawmakers.