NATO confirms N. Korean troop deployment in Russia

[Anchor]

We look into the North Korean military's deployment to Russia.

Observations suggest that the North Korean military's frontline deployment is imminent.

In the meantime, our government has sent a delegation to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

They shared information on the deployment trends and discussed countermeasures.

Let's connect to Paris for more details.

Reporter Song Rak-kyu, I understand that the NATO Secretary General made a statement a little while ago?

[Reporter]

The NATO Secretary General officially confirmed the the North Korean military's deployment to Russia and the stationing of the North's troops in the Kursk region.

Let's listen to the press briefing that took place about an hour ago.

[Mark Rutte/NATO Secretary General: "Today, I can confirm that North Korean troops has been sent to Russia, and that North Korean military units have been deployed to the Kursk region."]

NATO emphasized that since the outbreak of war, the Russian military has suffered 600,000 casualties, and the North Korean military's deployment shows Russia's desperation.

He also mentioned that he plans to have a phone call with President Yoon Suk Yeol today.

Earlier, our government delegation, led by Hong Jang-won, the first deputy director of the National Intelligence Service, attended a NATO headquarters council meeting to share trends related to the North Korean military.

[Anchor]

I see.

There are also reports that the North Korean troops deployed to Russia are moving to Ukraine in civilian cargo trucks?

[Reporter]

The Ukrainian military has intercepted Russian military communications and released related recordings yesterday local time.

Let's listen to it directly.

[Russian military communication: "This is a civilian license plate vehicle. A Kamaz truck was stopped by the Kursk-Voronezh highway patrol. The issue has been resolved. Unit 810 can now transport the North Korean troops."]

This recording reveals the movement of the North Korean military within Russia, and the Ukrainian military's intelligence agency analyzed that thousands of the North Korean troops are gathering in the battleground of Kursk based on this intercepted data.

Ukrainian President Zelensky also warned that Ukraine may soon have to fight against North Korean troops in Europe.

This is Song Rak-kyu reporting from Paris for KBS News.