Russia Withdraws North Korean Forces from Kursk After Heavy Casualties

South Korean intelligence has confirmed that North Korean forces dispatched to assist the Russian army have been 'pulled out of Kursk.' The New York Times reported last week, citing American and Ukrainian sources, that Moscow withdrew North Korean troops 'after suffering heavy casualties' from the Kursk front. Ukraine captured large areas of the Kursk region during a lightning attack this summer, considered the largest incursion into Russian territory since World War II. According to the Guardian, South Korean intelligence has corroborated this report and others on the matter. Based on information from this government agency, North Korean forces, described as some of the elite soldiers of their army, have not been present at the Kursk front since mid-January. Around the same time, Ukraine announced that its army had wiped out a battalion of North Korean and Russian forces in a village during a surprise attack in the Kursk region of Russia. South Korean intelligence officials stated that since the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia began in late 2024, 300 of these troops have been killed and about 2,700 have been injured. According to these officials, notes were discovered with the deceased North Korean soldiers indicating that the Pyongyang government expects them to die in battle rather than be captured. The governments of Ukraine, South Korea, and the United States had previously reported the deployment of about 12,000 North Korean soldiers in Russia. The South Korean army announced earlier this month that signs of North Korea's readiness to send more troops and weapons, including suicide drones, to Russia for use in the war against Ukraine have been observed. This claim arose after Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea, signed a bilateral defense pact with Russia in June of this year.