North Korea officially acknowledged on Monday that it has sent troops to fight alongside Russian forces in the ongoing war against Ukraine, marking the first public confirmation of its military involvement in the conflict.
According to North Korea's state media, the deployment was ordered directly by leader Kim Jong-un under a mutual defense treaty between Pyongyang and Moscow. The Central Military Commission of the ruling Workers' Party praised the deployed soldiers as "heroes" representing their homeland's honor.
The announcement comes after Russia declared on Saturday that Ukrainian forces had been expelled from the Kursk region, an area Moscow temporarily lost control of last year. Russian military chief Valery Gerasimov confirmed that North Korean soldiers participated in combat operations alongside Russian troops during the recapture of Kursk, commending their "professionalism, fortitude, courage and heroism."
Prior to this official confirmation, Ukraine, the United States, and South Korea had alleged that North Korea deployed between 10,000 to 12,000 troops to Russia. Both Moscow and Pyongyang had previously avoided directly addressing these claims, only stating that their military cooperation complied with international law.
The U.S. State Department expressed concern over North Korea's direct involvement in the conflict, calling for an immediate end to Pyongyang's military deployment and any reciprocal support from Russia.
This unprecedented acknowledgment marks a notable shift in North Korea's public stance regarding its role in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, following months of speculation about its military presence in Russian territory.