South Korea Confirms North Korean Soldiers Fighting Ukrainian Forces Alongside Russia

South Korea’s intelligence agency reported on Wednesday that North Korean soldiers are now actively engaged in combat alongside Russian forces against Ukraine. This confirmation from Seoul highlights deepening military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow as global scrutiny intensifies.

According to the National Intelligence Service (NIS), thousands of North Korean troops were deployed to Russia’s Kursk region in recent weeks and have since been integrated into frontline operations. “The NIS estimates that North Korean forces dispatched to Russia have now joined combat in the Kursk region,” the agency said in a statement.

This deployment follows a recent move by North Korea to ratify a mutual defense treaty with Russia, signed by both countries’ leaders in June. The treaty, as reported by North Korean state media, commits each nation to assist the other in the event of an armed attack, marking a significant shift in the region’s security dynamics.

NATO has responded by reinforcing its partnerships with Indo-Pacific allies, with plans to further enhance these relations in the coming months to address emerging security concerns.