South Korea’s intelligence agency has reported that North Korea may deploy additional military personnel to Russia as early as July or August to support the Kremlin’s operations in Ukraine. The assessment was provided during a closed-door briefing to South Korean lawmakers on Thursday.
According to Lee Seong-kweun, a member of the South Korean National Assembly, the National Intelligence Service (NIS) believes Moscow is preparing for a large-scale offensive in Ukraine in the coming weeks, and Pyongyang is expected to reinforce its support accordingly.
“The timing of the additional deployment is that it could be as early as July or August,” Lee told reporters following the session. He stated that the NIS based its analysis on evidence including a recent round-up of troops in North Korea and a high-level visit to Pyongyang by a senior Russian presidential security official.
This development comes amid increasing signs of military coordination between Moscow and Pyongyang, underpinned by a bilateral treaty signed in June 2024, which includes a mutual defence clause. Both countries have cited this agreement as the legal basis for recent military collaboration.
In particular, the NIS believes that North Korea has continued supplying artillery shells and missiles to Russia. In exchange, Pyongyang is thought to be receiving technical support for its space and missile programmes, specifically in satellite launch capabilities and missile guidance systems.
This marks a further intensification of North Korea’s involvement in the conflict. After several months of official silence, both Moscow and Pyongyang have recently acknowledged the presence of North Korean personnel in Russia and their role in operations aimed at recapturing Ukrainian-held territory in the Kursk region.
North Korea, which remains under extensive international sanctions, is widely believed to be seeking to modernise its military capabilities, especially in the fields of missile technology and reconnaissance satellites. Observers say that access to Russian expertise in these areas could help Pyongyang accelerate its development programmes despite continued global restrictions.
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