Seoul: Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed gratitude to North Korean troops for their involvement in the battle for the Kursk region in Russia. The statement comes after North Korea confirmed the deployment for the first time on Monday.
In a statement, Putin praised the North Korean fighters for their dedication, saying they “defended our Motherland as their own.” Russia recently claimed to have fully reclaimed the Kursk region, which Ukrainian forces had seized in a surprise attack last year, though Ukraine denied this.
North Korea reportedly sent 10,000-12,000 troops to Russia last fall, marking its first involvement in a major armed conflict since the Korean War. The deployment followed a defence agreement signed between Kim Jong Un and Putin in June 2024, which commits both nations to mutual military assistance in times of attack. Kim described the North Korean troops as heroes fighting against “Ukrainian neo-Nazi occupiers” and vowed to honor them with a monument in Pyongyang.
Though North Korea did not specify the number of troops sent or casualties, South Korea reported in March that around 4,000 North Korean soldiers were killed or wounded. Despite their discipline and training, North Korean soldiers have been vulnerable to drone and artillery attacks due to their lack of combat experience.
The South Korean government condemned the deployment, calling it a grave provocation and an “act against humanity.” Meanwhile, Russia’s chief of the general staff, Valery Gerasimov, praised the professionalism and heroism of North Korean troops fighting alongside Russian forces in Kursk.
In addition to troops, North Korea has been supplying Russia with weapons, raising concerns that Russia may provide North Korea with advanced military technologies, potentially boosting its nuclear capabilities.
