N. Korea deploys 12,000 special forces to the Ukraine war

[Anchor]

Hello everyone, this is KBS News at 9 PM on October 18.

The war in Ukraine, which is taking place in Europe, is shaking the security landscape of the Korean Peninsula.

As North Korea has begun its participation in the Ukraine war, the National Intelligence Service has confirmed that 1,500 special forces troops from North Korea have already moved to Russia.

Additionally, it is analyzed that more than 10,000 troops will be deployed, bringing the total number of dispatched troops to 12,000.

Our first report comes from reporter Yoo Ho-yoon.

[Report]

The National Intelligence Service stated that it has confirmed the circumstances under which North Korea sent special forces troops to Russia for deployment in the Ukraine war.

From October 8 to 13, four landing ships and three escort ships belonging to the Russian Pacific Fleet were detected transporting over 1,500 North Korean special forces troops to Russia.

They boarded near Chongjin, Hamhung, and Musudan and arrived in Vladivostok, Russia, according to the National Intelligence Service.

Furthermore, this is considered the first transport, and a second transport operation is expected to take place soon.

The unit identified as being deployed by North Korea is the 11th Corps of the Korean People's Army, also known as the 'Storm Corps,' which corresponds to the special forces of the South Korean military.

An additional 10,000 troops are expected to be dispatched, bringing the total number of participating troops to 12,000.

The National Intelligence Service reported that North Korean soldiers are currently undergoing adaptation training dispersed in areas such as Vladivostok before being sent to the front lines, and they also released satellite images showing presumed North Korean military personnel gathering at military facilities in the region.

It is presumed that they have been provided with Russian military uniforms, Russian weapons, and fake identification to disguise themselves as Russian soldiers.

The National Intelligence Service also disclosed photos of individuals presumed to be North Korean military personnel taken near Donetsk in cooperation with Ukrainian intelligence agencies, stating that analysis using AI facial recognition technology confirmed that they were technicians from a tactical missile production facility who accompanied Chairman Kim Jong-un last August.

This suggests that North Korean missile technicians are supporting the launch of their missiles on-site.

The National Intelligence Service assessed that since last August, North Korea has supported a total of over 13,000 containers worth of shells, missiles, and anti-tank rockets in about 70 instances.

This is KBS News, Yoo Ho-yoon.