North Korea troops in Russia possibly heading to frontline, Seoul’s spy agency says

By Hyunsu Yim

SEOUL (Reuters) – Some high-ranking North Korean military officials and troops deployed to Russia for the war in Ukraine might move to the frontline, South Korean lawmakers said on Tuesday after being briefed by the country’s spy agency.

The lawmakers did not give any timetable but the comments come as NATO confirmed Pyongyang’s dispatch of troops to Russia, and said that military units had been deployed to Russia’s Kursk region on the border with Ukraine.

The military in Russia was trying to teach military terminology to the North Koreans, Lee Seong-kweun, a member of a parliamentary intelligence committee, said during a press briefing, citing the intelligence agency’s assessment.

“The Russian military was teaching the North Korean military some 100 Russian military terms such as ‘back to your position,’ ‘fire’ and ‘launch’…but the North Korean military was struggling (to understand),” added Lee, who said the spy agency was unclear whether communication issues would be resolved.

North Korea was also ready to launch another military reconnaissance satellite with the help of technological support from Moscow, lawmaker Park Sun-won said, citing the South’s National Intelligence Service.

Pyongyang has vowed to launch more spy satellites though its last attempt failed earlier this year when it exploded minutes after lift-off.

The spy agency was closely monitoring North Korean activities including the possibility of Pyongyang conducting its seventh nuclear test after the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 5, Park said.

North Korea had also sent some 4,000 workers to Russia this year, according to the lawmakers attending the parliamentary intelligence committee hearing.

Kim Ju Ae, the daughter of leader Kim Jong Un, had seen her status partially elevated and was being guided by Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of the North Korean leader, the lawmakers said.

Kim Jong Un, who has made an increased number of public appearances this year, was also ramping up security around him because of concern about the possibility of assassination attempts, according to the lawmakers.

The North Korean regime was also taking steps aimed at shoring up Kim’s leadership, including ensuring personnel sent overseas studied his thinking and to help build up an identity separate from his predecessors Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, the lawmakers said.

The Kim family dynasty that has ruled North Korea since its founding after World War Two has sought to strengthen its grip on power by building cults of personality around itself.

North Korean state media has previously released photographs showing leader Kim’s portrait hanging next to his father and grandfather earlier this year in an apparent push to solidify his status as a leader equal to his forebears.