Seoul, April 30 (NationPress) It is reported that North Korean troops have sustained more than 4,700 casualties, with around 600 fatalities, while assisting Russian forces in their ongoing conflict against Ukraine, as indicated by South Korea's intelligence agency during a briefing to lawmakers on Wednesday.

The National Intelligence Service (NIS) shared this information in a confidential session with the National Assembly's intelligence committee, as relayed by Reps. Lee Seong-kweun from the People Power Party and Kim Byung-kee from the Democratic Party.

Furthermore, North Korea has reportedly sent a total of 15,000 troops to Russia in two stages, and combat activities have diminished since April, following Russia's reclamation of most territories in the Kursk front-line region, according to the NIS, as reported by the Yonhap news agency.

The agency has not yet identified any indicators of further troop deployments from North Korea, although they have not dismissed the possibility.

This revelation comes on the heels of North Korea's announcement on Monday regarding its troop dispatch to support Russian military efforts, with state-run KCNA claiming that its soldiers played a role in assisting Moscow in retaking Ukrainian-controlled regions in Kursk.

Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed gratitude to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un for the troop deployment, reaffirming the strengthening of their bilateral relationship, which was cultivated on the battlefield, according to Russian news sources.

Putin conveyed his appreciation to Kim for North Korea's assistance in liberating the Kursk Region from Ukrainian forces, as reported by the Russian news agency Tass, citing the Kremlin's press service, shortly after Pyongyang confirmed the troop deployment.

"We are deeply thankful for this and express our sincere gratitude to Chairman Kim Jong-un, along with the entire North Korean leadership and populace," Putin was quoted as stating.

He also remarked that the strong ties of friendship and collaboration established between Russia and North Korea on the battlefield would continue to flourish, as highlighted by Yonhap.

On Monday, North Korea publicly acknowledged for the first time that it has sent troops to Russia to bolster Moscow's efforts against Ukraine under their mutual defense treaty, asserting that North Korean soldiers assisted Russia in regaining control of Kursk.

The troop deployment was executed under the directive of Kim Jong-un, aligned with Pyongyang's mutual defense treaty with Moscow, as reported by the KCNA.

According to North Korea's Central Military Commission, this is the first official confirmation of troop deployment to Russia, occurring months after thousands of North Korean soldiers were initially dispatched to the front lines in Kursk.

Meanwhile, South Korea has vocally condemned North Korea's public acknowledgment of sending troops to Russia in support of the conflict against Ukraine, accusing Pyongyang of “mocking” the international community by justifying the troop deployment.

The foreign ministry released a statement following North Korea's announcement via state media, emphasizing that the deployment was in aid of Moscow's military actions in Kyiv, framed within their mutual defense treaty.

Pyongyang claimed the decision was made at the direction of Kim Jong-un and maintained that it was entirely legitimate under the treaty stipulating mutual military assistance in cases of attack.

"By publicly admitting their troop deployment and asserting compliance with international law, North Korea is once again ridiculing the global community. We strongly denounce this behavior," stated the ministry.

“The deployment of North Korean troops, in conjunction with the broader military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, represents a significant breach of international norms, including the UN Charter and UN Security Council resolutions,” it added.

The government called upon both Russia and North Korea to “immediately halt their unlawful military cooperation,” stressing that such actions “seriously undermine peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond, including Europe.”

We are committed to working alongside the international community to implement all necessary measures against any actions that jeopardize our national security.