In a press release, the JCS mentioned, “By numerous sources of data and intelligence, we assess that North Korean troops who’ve not too long ago engaged in fight with Ukrainian forces have suffered round 1,100 casualties.”

After Ukrainian troops seized the territories within the Kursk border area earlier this yr, Pyongyang despatched hundreds of troops to assist Moscow in its warfare in Ukraine.

They strengthened ties since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. A protection pact between them amps up the bilateral ties between the 2 international locations the place they’re obliged to supply fast army help by “all means” obligatory if both faces “aggression.”

The JCS added that they’re “significantly ” in monitoring the “risk of extra deployments” of North Korean troops to bolster Russian forces as North Korea is reportedly “making ready for the rotation or extra deployment of troopers.”

In accordance with their intelligence, North Korea is “producing and offering self-destructible drones” to Russia to assist their warfare efforts in addition to “240 mm rocket launchers and 170mm self-propelled artillery” to the Russian army.

The JCS is fearing an “enhance within the North’s army risk” in direction of South Korea.

Following a gathering with the MPs, Lee Seong-Kwun, a South Korean MP, informed reporters that the excessive variety of North Korean casualties could possibly be attributed to “an unfamiliar battlefield surroundings, the place North Korean forces are getting used as expendable frontline assault items and their lack of functionality to counter drone assaults.”

In accordance with US and South Korean officers, practically 12,000 North Korean troops have been deployed to Russia.

Beforehand, North Korea’s involvement in a warfare in Europe was unthinkable till this yr, Teddy Uldricks, an skilled in Russian politics on the College of Nevada Las Vegas, informed Every day Specific US.

Uldricks blamed North Korea’s “paranoia” for partaking in a warfare that may remotely not have an effect on them in addition to eager to “cement alliances.”

“I used to be shocked as a result of what we heard on the information broadcast was that the North Koreans had despatched a few of their elite troops. Maybe that wasn’t true, as a result of the standard of these troops appears to be very low,” he mentioned.