According to a Radio Free Asia (RFA) report on Friday, a U.S. Department of Defense official has stated that there are no signs of additional North Korean troop deployments to Russia. This assessment contrasts with the findings of South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS).
In response to an RFA inquiry about potential changes to their previous stance on North Korean troop movements, they reiterated that there have been no new developments.
This statement follows a report by the NIS on Thursday claiming that North Korean forces had been redeployed to the Kursk front since early February. The NIS suggested that while some additional troop deployments appear to have occurred, the exact scale is still under investigation. Intelligence sources indicated that the number of newly deployed troops could exceed 1,000.
As reported by RFA, the U.S. Defense Department official declined to discuss evaluations made by foreign intelligence agencies when asked about the NIS assessment.
Current estimates suggest that North Korea has deployed between 11,000 and 20,000 troops to Russia’s Kursk region to bolster Russian forces engaged in the Ukraine conflict. Reports also indicate that approximately 4,000 North Korean casualties have occurred, with troops initially withdrawing from the front lines but now observed to be returning to combat zones.
The reason for the differing assessments between the U.S. and South Korea remains unclear. South Korea regularly shares battlefield intelligence with both the U.S. and Ukraine. The recent NIS announcement aligns with Ukraine’s assessment that North Korean forces retreated in January before being redeployed around February 7.
Some analysts speculate that the U.S. may selectively withhold information that could negatively impact public opinion, mainly as Washington accelerates efforts to negotiate a ceasefire in the Russia- Ukraine conflict.