For the first time since the 1950s, North Korean troops have been deployed to an active battlefield. According to claims from countries like the United States, Ukraine, and South Korea, thousands of soldiers will fight Russian-backed Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian government has successfully identified the identities of North Korean generals present on the battlefield, allegedly representing leader Kim Jong-Un in the area. This is a significant and unprecedented assignment for the North Korean army.
Ukraine asserted that it had identified the identities of three North Korean generals who accompanied thousands of North Korean soldiers sent to Russia. Speaking at the United Nations Security Council, the Ukrainian delegation stated that the three generals were among at least 500 North Korean officers sent to Russia.
According to Ukraine, North Korean units consisting of at least five formations of 2,000 to 3,000 soldiers each have arrived in the region and are planned to be integrated into Russian units to conceal their presence. Russia, since February 2022, has not denied the involvement of North Korean troops in the ongoing war in Ukraine.
After initial denials, the North Korean government claimed that the deployment of troops was in compliance with international law. At the same Security Council meeting, Russian envoy Vassily Nebenzia stated that Russia’s military interaction with North Korea did not violate international law and that Moscow had the right to request assistance from its allies. Ukraine identified Colonel General Kim Yong Bok as a top general commanding special forces units, including the “Storm Corps,” also known as the Special Forces units sent to Russia by South Korean intelligence.
Believed to be representing Kim Jong Un in Russia, officials say this is a significant and unprecedented assignment for the North Korean army. Among other senior officers identified by Ukraine are Chief of Reconnaissance General Ri Chang Ho and Director of the Main Operations Directorate Major General Sin Kum Cheol.
Ri, who has been heading North Korea’s main intelligence agency since 2022, faces sanctions imposed by South Korea, alleging he oversaw major cyber piracy efforts to steal technology and foreign currency. General Ri also accompanied leader Kim Jong Un in an unusual number of events this year, including overseeing a naval base.
Sin’s career is unclear, but it is claimed that he is likely to assume command of North Korean troops in Russia after Kim Yong Bok and Ri Chang Ho depart.