North Korea, Russia discuss boosting military ties

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said North Korean officials, led by Pak Yong Il, vice director of the Korean People’s Army General Political Bureau, met Wednesday with a Russian delegation headed by Vice Defense Minister Viktor Goremykin. Discussions focused on strengthening cooperation in line with “deepened bilateral relations” under North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin. KCNA did not report any specific agreements. Goremykin’s delegation also met separately with North Korean Defense Minister No Kwang Chol on Thursday.

The meetings follow a briefing by South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS), which reported that North Korea may be preparing additional troop deployments to Russia. South Korean officials said they are monitoring the situation closely but did not speculate on any new deployments.

Seoul has assessed that North Korea has already sent roughly 15,000 troops and large amounts of military equipment, including artillery and ballistic missiles, to support Russia’s war efforts. In addition, thousands of North Korean military construction workers and deminers have reportedly been sent to Russia’s Kursk region, with around 5,000 personnel moving in phases since September for possible infrastructure restoration projects.

The North Korea–Russia meetings also came shortly after U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited South Korea for annual security talks and praised Seoul’s plans to increase military spending in response to North Korea’s nuclear threats and regional uncertainties, reports UNB.