South Korean intelligence confirms North Korean troops not involved in combat in Kursk Oblast since mid- January

South Korea's National Intelligence Service said that North Korean troops deployed to support russia's war against Ukraine appear not to have been involved in combat in the Kursk Oblast of the russian federation since mid-January.

This was reported by Yonhap News.

Thus, South Korean intelligence confirmed a recent report by The New York Times, citing sources, that North Korean soldiers, who fought alongside russian troops in battles against Ukraine, were withdrawn from the front line in mid-January due to heavy losses.

"Since mid-January, there have been no signs that North Korean troops deployed in russia's Kursk Oblast have been involved in combat," South Korean intelligence said.

The department also confirmed that one of the reasons for the absence of North Korean troops is high losses, but added that efforts are currently underway to determine the exact cause.

According to previously published estimates, North Korea sent about 11,000 troops to support russia in its war against Ukraine. South Korean intelligence said that 300 were killed and about 2,700 more were wounded.

At the same time, British intelligence estimated the DPRK's losses at about 4,000 soldiers, a quarter of whom were killed in battle.

Recall that after the report by The New York Times, the spokesman for the Special Operations Forces (SOF) Oleksandr Kindratenko confirmed to the media that North Korean troops had been withdrawn from some areas of the front in the Kursk Oblast of the aggressor country, russia.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, in North Korea, people bribe doctors to avoid being sent to war in Ukraine. To do this, North Korean citizens spend huge sums of money, amounting to more than a hundred times the average monthly salary.