North Korea has suffered a staggering death toll in its military support for Russia's war in Ukraine, with South Korean intelligence estimating that around 2,000 North Korean soldiers have been killed since April. The figure was disclosed by South Korean lawmaker Lee Seong-kweun after a briefing by the National Intelligence Service.
Most of the casualties are believed to have occurred in Russia's Kursk region, where North Korean troops were deployed to help repel a Ukrainian incursion that began in August 2024. Seoul's spy agency assesses that Pyongyang sent over 10,000 troops to Russia in 2024, primarily to Kursk, along with artillery shells, missiles and rocket systems.
A further deployment of 6,000 troops is underway, with around 1,000 combat engineers already arriving in Russia for brief training. The North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has met with families of soldiers killed in combat and offered condolences for their 'unbearable pain'.
Russia and North Korea signed a military deal last year including a mutual defence clause, deepening ties between the two pariah states. Moscow has also relied on North Korean ammunition, though some has proved faulty.
