North Korea to Send 6,000 Workers to Aid Russia in Kursk

PYONGYANG, North Korea — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un plans to send 6,000 workers to assist Russia in the Kursk region, according to Russian state media released Tuesday. The deployment includes 1,000 combat engineers, known as sappers, and 5,000 construction workers to help rebuild the area affected by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Sergei Shoigu, the secretary of Moscow’s security council, announced the agreement after his recent visit to Pyongyang. He stated the sappers would focus on demining operations in Kursk, where Ukrainian troops had held territory for months last year. The construction workers will be tasked with restoring infrastructure damaged during the conflict.

Shoigu’s visit marks his second trip to North Korea within two weeks and his third in the past three months. This growing relationship between Russia and North Korea provides a critical source of manpower for Moscow as it continues its military actions in Ukraine.

North Korea stands to gain from this partnership as well. Experts estimate that Pyongyang could receive as much as $200,000 for each soldier sent to support Russian efforts. Soo Kim, a North Korea researcher and former CIA analyst, remarked that Kim Jong Un sees this as a swift way to earn money while strengthening his military capabilities.

According to North Korean state media, Kim met with Shoigu to discuss the cooperation plans, confirming their commitment to the arrangements. In the fall of 2024, North Korean troops had previously aided Russia in regaining territory lost to Ukraine.

The depth of collaboration has raised alarms in neighboring countries. South Korea‘s foreign ministry expressed serious concerns about the ongoing cooperation between North Korea and Russia, deeming it a violation of UN sanctions.

A U.S. State Department spokesperson echoed these concerns, stating that Russia’s engagement of North Korean forces for its war in Ukraine is troubling. Both nations have recently affirmed their military cooperation, with North Korea reportedly sending laborers to Russia under mutual agreements.

As the war in Ukraine continues, both nations are expected to engage further, and Shoigu noted plans to memorialize the North Korean troops lost during operations in the conflict.