1,500 special forces personnel are already in the Russian Far East undergoing training, South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) said.
The NIS said the North had decided to send thousands of soldiers to help Russia, releasing detailed satellite images it said showed the first deployment. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yol convened an emergency meeting on security issues, with Seoul describing Pyongyang's move as "a significant threat to the security of not only our country but also the international community," the presidential office said.
The NIS has "determined that from October 8 to 13 (October), North Korea transported its special forces to Russia via a Russian Navy transport ship, confirming the beginning of North Korea's military involvement" in Russia's war in Ukraine.
According to the NIS, multiple Russian landing ships and frigates have already completed transporting the first contingent of troops, who are currently stationed at military bases in the Russian Far East. The special forces soldiers "are expected to be sent to the frontline (of the conflict in Ukraine) as soon as they complete acclimatization training," the release said.
The soldiers were provided with Russian military uniforms and Russian-made weapons.
"This appears to be an attempt to conceal the fact that they are North Korean soldiers by posing as Russian soldiers," the NIS added.
More soldiers are likely to be sent soon, NIS said, adding that it believes the North may send about 12,000 soldiers in total.
"A second transport operation is expected to take place soon," it said.
The NIS said the North had "provided Russia with artillery shells, rockets, anti-tank missiles and other lethal weapons in more than 13,000 containers" since last August.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky noted that on 17 October he received intelligence that North Korea was training 10,000 soldiers to support Russia in its fight against Kiev.
Zelensky suggested that Russia is relying on North Korean troops to make up for its significant losses as many young Russians seek to avoid conscription.
Earlier this month, Ukrainian media reported that six North Korean military personnel were killed in a Ukrainian missile attack on Russian-occupied territory near Donetsk on October 3.
Seoul's defence minister, Kim Yong-hyun, indicated to lawmakers at the time that it was "highly likely" the report was correct.
Experts believe that moving from supplying soldiers with shells to Russia is the logical next step.
"For North Korea, which has supplied Russia with many shells and missiles, it is extremely important for it to learn how to handle different weapons and gain real combat experience," said Lim Eul-chul, a professor at the Institute of Far Eastern Studies in Seoul.
"This may even be the driving factor for sending North Korean soldiers - to provide them with a variety of experiences and military training," he added. | BGNES
