N. Korean troops suffer heavy casualties in Russia

[Anchor]

In the meantime, the National Intelligence Service has revealed that some North Korean troops have been deployed in actual combat, resulting in at least a hundred deaths.

They stated that the North Korean troops are being consumed in the role of frontline assault units and are monitoring the possibility of additional deployments.

Go Eun-hee reports.

[Report]

Soldiers wandering in a snow-covered field suddenly become flustered by the appearance of a drone.

This is a recently released video showing that the Ukrainian special operations forces killed 50 North Korean soldiers in the heavily contested Russian Kursk region.

It appears that they became targets of the drone while moving in large groups without taking cover in the open area.

The National Intelligence Service reported to the National Assembly's Intelligence Committee that among the approximately 11,000 North Korean troops deployed in Kursk, some have been engaged in combat this month, resulting in at least a hundred deaths and over a thousand injuries.

Despite the low number of engagements, the high casualty rate is attributed to the fact that the "North's troops are being consumed in the role of frontline assault units in the unfamiliar battlefield environment of open terrain," according to the National Intelligence Service.

The vulnerability of the North Korean troops to drone attacks, which have become an essential element of modern warfare, is also cited as a reason for the increased casualties.

[Lee Seong-kweun/Ruling party member of the National Assembly Intelligence Committee: "It is reported that within the Russian military, there are complaints that North Korean forces are inexperienced with drones, and as a result, they have become a burden."]

This suggests that the expectation that the North Korean troops would serve as 'cannon fodder' in place of the Russian military without proper training and support is becoming a reality.

Nevertheless, it is reported that there are rumors of additional troop drafts within the North Korean special forces deployed in Russia, known as the Storm Corps, leading the National Intelligence Service to monitor the possibility of a second deployment.

Meanwhile, the National Intelligence Service stated that there are "no imminent signs of North Korean provocations against South Korea" following the martial law declaration, and emphasized that "the North's military is stressing the need to prevent military clashes in the front areas."

KBS News, Go Eun-hee.