North Korea Prepares More Troops for Russia, Seoul Says

North Korea is continuing preparations for a potential additional troop deployment to Russia, although there are currently no indications that forces will be sent imminently, according to an assessment from South Korea’s Defence Ministry.

The ministry provided the assessment to South Korean lawmaker Yu Yong-weon, whose office said Pyongyang was also continuing to supply Russia with weapons systems, including short-range ballistic missiles.

North Korea is estimated to have provided Russia with more than 15 million rounds of artillery ammunition, calculated in 152-millimetre shell equivalents, according to the ministry.

Citing an assessment from South Korea’s Defense Intelligence Agency, Yu’s office said North Korean missiles used in the Russia-Ukraine war may have become more accurate. Battlefield data, Russian technical guidance and component support are believed to have contributed to the improvements.

The assessment comes after Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, rejected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s claim that Pyongyang was preparing to send as many as 50,000 additional troops to Russia.

Meanwhile, South Korea said North Korea is nearing completion of some ballistic missiles and multiple rocket launcher systems believed to be designed for a potential conflict with South Korea.

Pyongyang is also reportedly preparing its Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile for operational deployment. The weapon has sufficient range to reach Guam, a key U.S. territory in the Pacific.

North Korean intercontinental ballistic missiles have demonstrated flight ranges capable of reaching the U.S. mainland, Seoul said. However, critical technologies such as warhead re-entry have not been verified because North Korea has conducted its ICBM tests on steep, lofted trajectories.

Military cooperation between North Korea and Russia has expanded significantly since Moscow invaded Ukraine in 2022. South Korean, Ukrainian and Western assessments say Pyongyang began supplying Russia with artillery ammunition and missiles in 2023 before deploying troops from 2024.

Russia and North Korea have previously denied allegations that they conducted arms transfers.