This was reported by the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), as conveyed by Yonhap.
They noted that it has been about four months since North Koreans joined the war against Ukraine. The military suspects that North Korea is accelerating preparations for additional measures and troop deployments in light of "numerous casualties and the emergence of prisoners."
Additionally, the JCS expects that the DPRK will continue preparations for launching spy satellites or intercontinental ballistic missiles, although there are no clear signs of such launches. In January, North Korea conducted two missile launches just a few days before the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Furthermore, the military believes that the DPRK is ready for provocations involving short-range ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, or balloons carrying waste at any moment.
Previously, the New York Times reported that North Korea might send reinforcements to Russia within the next two months.
In October 2024, President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that he received information about Russia preparing two units of North Korean military consisting of 6,000 personnel each. As of January, Zelensky reported that 4,000 North Korean soldiers had been neutralized in the Kursk region.
Ukrainian military personnel report that soldiers from the DPRK do not wish to surrender; instead, they take their comrades or commit suicide when faced with the threat of capture. They also do not take prisoners — Ukrainian soldiers who attempted to surrender were killed.
In Russia, there are attempts to conceal the involvement of North Koreans in combat operations. According to the Special Operations Forces of Ukraine, in documents they were recorded as Tuvinians. Zelensky also stated that there were cases of facial burning to prevent the identification of bodies.