The institute’s report says Pyongyang has sent troops to Russia four times since October 2024, dispatching more than 20,000 soldiers in total. Yonhap said the report estimates revenue from troop deployments, including soldiers’ wages and death benefits, at about $620 million. If the current trend continues, the report projects North Korea could earn about $560 million a year from deployments alone.
Satellite imagery, the report says, also showed North Korea supplying various types of weapons to Russia.
Overall, the institute estimated that between August 2023 and December 2025 North Korea earned between $7.67 billion and $14.4 billion in hard currency. Yonhap said the report added that Pyongyang actually received only about 4% to 19.6% of the projected revenues but could have gained additional value from getting access to sophisticated military technology and equipment.
Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence (HUR) said on Feb. 4 that North Korean forces were still present in Russia’s Kursk Oblast as of January 2026.
On Feb. 13, Yonhap reported that roughly 6,000 North
Korean soldiers who fought alongside Russian forces have been killed or wounded
in the war.