At least 100 North Korean soldiers have died in combat since joining Russia’s war effort in Ukraine earlier this month, according to South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS).
South Korean MP Lee Sung-kwon revealed the casualty figures following a parliamentary briefing by the NIS. He added that another 1,000 North Korean soldiers had been injured, including high-ranking officials.
The North Korean troops reportedly lack combat experience and are unfamiliar with the battlefield environment, particularly drone warfare, which has contributed to the high number of casualties.
The soldiers are believed to have suffered losses in Russia’s Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces have been defending territory captured during a surprise incursion in August. However, they are not thought to have been deployed directly in Ukraine.
Lee noted that North Korean forces are being used as “expendable frontline assault units” and that their lack of understanding of modern warfare technology has led to dissatisfaction within the Russian military.
North Korea reportedly sent 10,000 troops to support Russia in October, with initial weeks spent in training and support roles.
The alliance between Russia and North Korea has strengthened in recent months. On November 29, Russian officials, including Deputy Defence Minister Andrey Belousov, held talks in Pyongyang.
North Korea’s state news agency KCNA recently described the partnership as a counterbalance to “the US and the West’s ill-intended extension of influence.”
U.S. officials have also reported North Korean casualties. On Monday, a Pentagon spokesperson confirmed deaths without specifying numbers, and on Tuesday, an unnamed U.S. official said there were “several hundred” killed or wounded.
South Korea’s NIS reports suggest additional deployments are being prepared, with speculation that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un could oversee the training.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently said Russia has begun using a “significant number” of North Korean troops in its assaults in Kursk.
