North Korea has sent around 5,000 construction troops to Russia since September to assist with “infrastructure reconstruction,” according to South Korean lawmaker Lee Seong-kweun, who was briefed by Seoul’s National Intelligence Service.
South Korea’s intelligence agency estimates that a total of 10,000 North Korean personnel are now stationed near the Russia-Ukraine border. At least 600 North Korean soldiers have died in the Ukraine war and thousands more sustained injuries, according to South Korean estimates.
Analysts believe Pyongyang is receiving financial aid, food, fuel, and possibly military technology in exchange for its support. This cooperation has helped North Korea bypass some of the harsh international sanctions imposed over its nuclear and missile programs.
The strengthened alliance comes as diplomatic channels between Pyongyang and Washington remain frozen. Since the collapse of Kim Jong Un’s 2019 summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, North Korea has declared itself an “irreversibly” nuclear state.
Last week, Trump said he was open to meeting Kim again, but Pyongyang did not respond. Instead, North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui visited Moscow, where she and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to deepen bilateral ties.
Seoul’s intelligence service believes Kim remains open to talks with the United States “when the conditions are in place.”
