South Korea's spy agency told lawmakers on Wednesday that about 4,700 North Korean soldiers have been killed or injured while fighting alongside Russian forces against Ukraine. This information came two days after North Korea officially acknowledged for the first time that it had sent troops to assist Russia in recapturing parts of the Kursk region, which Ukraine took control of during a surprise attack last year.

In a closed-door briefing to a parliamentary committee, South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) reported that North Korea has lost 4,700 people in the Russia-Ukraine war, including 600 deaths. Lee Seong Kweun, one of the lawmakers who attended the meeting, shared this information. According to Lee, the NIS stated that 2,000 injured North Korean soldiers were brought back to North Korea by air or train between January and March. The NIS also mentioned that the bodies of the deceased soldiers were cremated in Russia before being sent back to North Korea.

Earlier, in January, the NIS reported that around 300 North Korean soldiers had died and 2,700 were injured. The South Korean military later updated the total casualties to 4,000 last month. Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea, declared on Monday that his country would send troops to "annihilate and wipe out the Ukrainian neo-Nazi occupiers and liberate the Kursk area in cooperation with the Russian armed forces."

Russian President Vladimir Putin later thanked North Korea and said he would remember the sacrifices made by North Korean soldiers. Kim and Putin both said that North Korea sent its forces as part of the 2024 defence treaty between their countries, which says they must help each other if one is attacked. The United States, South Korea, and their allies believe that North Korea has been sending large amounts of regular weapons to help refill Russia’s low supplies. They think Russia is giving North Korea military and economic support in return. U.S., South Korean, and Ukrainian officials have reported that North Korea sent between 10,000 and 12,000 troops to Russia last fall. In March, South Korea's military stated that another 3,000 North Korean troops were sent to Russia earlier this year.

At a briefing on Wednesday, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) said it believes Russia has given North Korea air defence missiles, electronic warfare gear, drones and technology to help launch spy satellites. This information was shared by lawmaker Kim Byung-kee, who attended the NIS briefing. Kim, citing the NIS, said that 15,000 North Korean workers have been sent to Russia as part of joint industrial projects between the two countries. He also mentioned that North Korea has supplied Russia with missiles and artillery worth billions of dollars. However, the NIS has not found any evidence that Russia has paid North Korea in cash for these weapons.