North Korea confirmed for the first time on Monday that it had deployed troops to assist Russia in military operations in the Kursk region, marking a major shift in its public stance regarding involvement in the Ukraine conflict.
According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), North Korean forces participated in operations to reclaim territory from Ukrainian control in the Russian border region of Kursk. The announcement comes just days after Moscow officially acknowledged Pyongyang’s participation, and on the same day that Russian President Vladimir Putin praised the contribution of North Korean troops.
First Public Admission
South Korean and Western intelligence agencies have long reported that Pyongyang had dispatched more than 10,000 soldiers to support Russian forces in Kursk as early as last year. However, Monday’s KCNA report is the first public acknowledgment by the Central Military Commission of North Korea.
The report stated that the deployment was carried out under a mutual defense treaty between North Korea and Russia.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un lauded the troops as “heroes and representatives of the honour of the motherland,” and announced plans to erect a monument in Pyongyang to commemorate their “battle feats,” alongside the graves of the fallen soldiers.
“The country must take important national measures to specially honour and care for the families of war veterans,” Kim said, acknowledging for the first time that North Korean troops had been killed in combat.
Russia Thanks North Korea
The Kremlin cited President Putin expressing deep gratitude to Kim Jong Un and the North Korean people for their “significant assistance” in Kursk.
On Saturday, Russian Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov also acknowledged that North Korean forces provided “significant assistance” in defeating Ukrainian armed groups in the region.
The Central Military Commission claimed that the operations to liberate the Kursk area were a defensive response to repel what it called an “adventurous invasion” by Ukrainian forces.
South Korean Reaction
South Korea’s Ministry of Defense responded swiftly, condemning North Korea’s admission as a violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions. A ministry spokesperson said Pyongyang had “admitted to its own criminal acts.”
Strategic Calculations
Analysts believe that the joint public disclosure was pre-agreed between Moscow and Pyongyang, calculating that the rewards of support from Russia outweigh any potential diplomatic fallout.
“They judged that the benefits of compensation for the troop deployment outweighed the potential damage to their international image,” said Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul.
Yang added that by offering state benefits to veterans, North Korea could also “ease internal backlash” over the casualties.
Despite Russian claims of victory in Kursk, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Sunday that Ukrainian forces continue to engage in combat in the region.
Looking Ahead
Analysts are closely watching whether Kim Jong Un will attend Russia’s Victory Day celebrations on May 9, which will mark the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany.
Although attendance by Kim is considered unlikely, it has not been ruled out, according to Lim Eul-chul of the Institute for Far Eastern Studies in Seoul.
Russia has pledged to hold its largest-ever Victory Day commemorations, featuring a massive military parade and a major address by President Putin.
