South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) confirmed that Russian navy ships transported 1,500 North Korean soldiers to Vladivostok.
North Korea has reportedly sent troops to support Russia’s war in Ukraine, conferring South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS). In a statement on Friday, the NIS confirmed that Russian navy ships transported 1,500 North Korean special forces to Vladivostok between October 8 and October 13.
The spy agency also indicated that more North Korean soldiers are expected to be sent to Russia soon. This development risks involving a third country in the conflict, raising tensions between North Korea and the West.
According to the NIS, the North Korean troops in Russia were abounding with Russian military uniforms, weapons, and fake identification documents. They are currently based at military bases in Vladivostok, Ussuriysk, Khabarovsk, and Blagoveshchensk, awaiting deployment to combat zones after completing their training.
The NIS also published satellite images and other intelligence demonstration Russian naval activity near a North Korean port and large gatherings of North Korean personnel in Ussuriysk and Khabarovsk.
However, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said on Friday that NATO could not yet approve North Korean troop involvement. South Korean media, citing the NIS, reported that North Korea plans to send a total of 12,000 soldiers in four brigades to Russia, though the NIS has not verified this information.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeolconvoked an emergency security meeting, expressing concerns about the deepening military ties between Russia and North Korea. He described the situation as a “serious security threat” not only to South Korea but to the international community.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian media reported that six North Korean soldiers were killed in a missile strike near Donetsk on October 3. Russia has denied these intelligences, with Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov dismissing them as “fake news.”
On Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that intelligence proposes 10,000 North Korean troops are preparing to join Russian forces, warning this could further escalate the conflict. The U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War has also confirmed that thousands of North Korean soldiers have arrived in Russia.
Pyongyang and Moscow have upheld close ties since North Korea’s founding, and their connection has strengthened since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. South Korea, supported by the U.S., alleges that North Korea has become a key arms supplier to Russia for its war in Ukraine, a claim both countries deny.
In June, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a mutual military support pact, marking one of the most significant defense agreements between the two countries since the Cold War.
Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have sustained to rise amid ongoing weapons tests by North Korea and large-scale military exercises in South Korea.