Kim Hyun-bin began his journalism career at Arirang TV from 2012 to 2017, specializing in defense, foreign affairs and the economy. In 2018, he joined The Korea Times, covering society and business, and is currently responsible for embassy affairs.
Evidence shows North Korea deploying troops to support Russia in Ukraine war
Soldiers believed to be from North Korea stand in line to receive supplies from Russia in this video footage released by the Ukrainian Center for Strategic Communication and Information Security (SPRAVDI), Friday, on X, formerly known as Twitter. Yonhap
By Kim Hyun-bin
This questionnaire provided by the Ukrainian Center for Strategic Communication and Information Security to CNN shows a Korean-language questionnaire for military uniforms and hats. Yonhap
Video footage and documents revealed recently corroborate claims that North Korea has been deploying its troops to assist Russia in the ongoing war against Ukraine.
This evidence follows confirmation from South Korea's spy agency on Friday that North Korea has decided to send around 10,000 troops, having already deployed a portion earlier this month, with approximately 1,500 soldiers transported on Russian Navy ships.
The document, obtained by the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture's Center for Strategic Communication and Information Security (SPRAVDI) and released by CNN on Saturday, was a questionnaire available in both Korean and Russian.
It requests detailed measurements for military supplies, including height, chest circumference, and shoe and hat sizes, to address the differences in clothing size systems between the two countries. North Korean soldiers are instructed to complete and submit this questionnaire immediately upon their arrival in Russia, according to CNN.
The report on the questionnaire followed a video clip previously disclosed by SPRAVDI, showing North Korean soldiers preparing for deployment at a training center believed to be in Sergeyevsky, Blagoveshchensky District in Amur Oblast
in the Russian Far East.
The footage depicts soldiers of Asian descent, presumed to be North Korean, receiving equipment from individuals believed to be Russian military personnel. The video’s audio features distinct North Korean accents, with soldiers clearing being heard saying, "Don't cross over," "Come out" and "Hey, hey, hey."
Further supporting this evidence, a Telegram channel released another video showing North Korean soldiers in training in Russia. The footage depicts soldiers lined up and entering a military base, with experts cited by U.S. media outlet Radio Free Asia (RFA) noting symbols of the Russian Eastern Military District on the soldiers’ uniforms, confirming that the location appears to be the Sergeyevsky training center.