"North Korea Proposes Dispatching 100,000 Volunteer Troops to Russia, Russian Military Expert Claims"

Parade held on the 73rd anniversary of the establishment of the North Korean regime in 2021 [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Se-eun] A Russian defense expert claimed that North Korea has proposed sending 100,000 volunteer soldiers.

According to the New York Post on the 5th (local time), Igor Korotchenko, a Russian defense expert, appeared on Channel One TV the same day and said, "100,000 North Korean volunteer soldiers are ready to participate in the conflict." He added, "The North Korean military has extensive experience in battles using artillery."

Korotchenko further stated, "If North Korea expresses its intention to fulfill its international duty to fight against Ukrainian fascism, Russia should allow it."

However, the New York Post pointed out that North Korea is not actually considering how to recruit volunteer soldiers. Moreover, the media analyzed that the very fact that stories about North Korean troops are emerging in Russia suggests a shortage of resources to conduct the war.

North Korea has previously shown a pro-Russian stance amid the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. On the 13th, North Korea officially recognized the independence declarations of the pro-Russian forces in eastern Ukraine's Donbas region, the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and the Luhansk People's Republic (LPR). When the international community condemned this, North Korea rebutted by saying that "(recognition) is a legitimate right."

In response, Ukraine immediately announced the severance of diplomatic relations with North Korea. North Korea is the third country, after Russia and Syria, to recognize the independence of these two regions.

Meanwhile, the war in Ukraine, which broke out due to Russia's invasion in February, has been ongoing for seven months. According to a CNN report on the 28th (local time), the number of Russian casualties since the outbreak of the war has reached approximately 75,000.

Earlier, William Burns, Director of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, mentioned, "According to U.S. intelligence estimates, 15,000 Russian soldiers have died, with the number of wounded being about three times the number of deaths, resulting in tremendous troop losses."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.