North Korean troops preparing for frontline deployment after Russian language training

South Korean lawmakers Lee Seong-kweun and Park Sun-won disclosed these details after a closed-door parliamentary intelligence committee meeting.

South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) is monitoring the process of moving a portion of North Korean military personnel, including high-ranking officers, to the frontline.

According to South Korean intelligence, Russia is currently teaching North Korean soldiers approximately 100 basic military words and commands, including "fire" and "in position."

"However, it’s clear that North Korean soldiers are struggling to communicate – and it’s not clear whether they’ll be able to bridge the language gap," CNN reported, citing South Korean lawmakers and intelligence.

Additionally, North Korea, whose population remains isolated and impoverished, has intensified security measures to protect dictator Kim Jong Un and to prevent information about the deployment of North Korean forces in Russia from spreading.

To this end, North Korean officers involved in the operation to place North Korean military personnel in Russia are prohibited from using phones, and the families of the soldiers are told that their relatives are simply participating in "military exercises."

Despite these measures, information about the deployment of North Korean troops in Russia has already spread in North Korea, leading to "unrest" in some parts of the country, South Korean lawmakers said. Some North Korean residents and soldiers expressed concerns about being sent to Russia, while others questioned why they were being sacrificed for another country.

CNN noted that according to the latest estimates from Washington, up to 10,000 North Korean soldiers are undergoing military training in eastern Russia. North Korea has one of the world's largest armies, numbering 1.2 million soldiers, but most of its troops lack combat experience. The involvement of North Korean military personnel in the war against Ukraine on the side of Russia "could be the first significant intervention by North Korea in an international conflict," the American outlet reported.

North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui is currently visiting Russia on her second trip to Moscow in six weeks. She is likely there to discuss the possible increase in the North Korean contingent in Russian operations and what Pyongyang might receive from Moscow in return, according to South Korean intelligence.

Meanwhile, South Korea's foreign and defense ministers are beginning a visit to the United States, where they will meet with their counterparts, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

South Korea's reaction to North Korean troop deployment in Ukraine

South Korean intelligence has reported that North Korea has decided to send 12,000 soldiers, including a special forces unit, to support Russia in its war against Ukraine.

South Korea is considering sending its own military personnel to Ukraine in response to North Korea's deployment of troops to support Russia, according to media reports on Oct. 22. The South Korean government and military are reportedly considering a plan to send a corresponding number of personnel, including intelligence officers specializing in North Korea and experts in enemy tactics, to Ukraine.

South Korean Defense Minister Kim Eun-hye stated on Oct. 24 that North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un had sent his army to fight against Ukraine as "cannon fodder."

The South Korean government is also considering providing military support to Ukraine, with a focus on defensive rather than lethal weapons. If lethal weapons are provided, South Korea will first consider sending them to Ukraine indirectly.

"If North Korea sends special forces to the war against Ukraine, we will provide support to Kyiv step by step and consider taking necessary measures for the security of the Korean Peninsula," the South Korean leader said.

A South Korean delegation will visit Ukraine between Oct. 28 to Nov. 3 to share information about the deployment of North Korean troops in Russia and discuss cooperation between Seoul and Kyiv.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed on Oct. 28 the involvement of North Korean troops in the war against Ukraine and their redeployment to Russia’s Kursk Oblast.

According to the New York Times, Ukrainian military personnel have already been warned that they may encounter North Korean military personnel in Kursk Oblast in the coming days.