Anchor: North Korea will send thousands of its military workers to Russia’s Kursk region to help with rebuilding efforts in the war-hit area, which had been seized by Ukraine for months. The move is yet another sign of the deepening alliance between Pyongyang and Moscow, causing concern among South Korea and the United States.
Rosyn Park reports.

Reporter: Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu said Tuesday that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un intends to send six-thousand military personnel to Russia’s Kursk region in support of its offensive in Ukraine.

Shoigu, who was in Pyongyang on special instructions from Russian President Vladimir Putin, met with Kim to mainly discuss security issues.

According to Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency, Shoigu said the North decided to dispatch one-thousand engineers to remove landmines in Russian territory and five-thousand construction workers to rebuild infrastructure destroyed in Ukrainian attacks.

This follows the deployment of North Korean combat troops to the region.

Shoigu said the two sides praised the exchanges between Russian and North Korean soldiers, particularly their interactions in Kursk.

The Russian official previously visited Pyongyang on March 21 and June 4 for talks with the North Korean leader.

According to Russia’s Security Council, bilateral agreements with the North were being implemented in line with the framework of the comprehensive strategic partnership treaty the two countries signed last year.

The deepening ties between North Korea and Russia have raised concerns for South Korea and the U.S.

South Korea’s presidential office said it does not support the North’s troop deployment, while the foreign ministry called for an immediate stop to the continuing illicit cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow.

The U.S. State Department also said Russia’s continued use of North Korean workers and troops for operations against Ukraine is “deeply concerning,” pointing out that they financially support Pyongyang’s unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs, generating income in breach of UN Security Council resolutions.
Rosyn Park, KBS World Radio News.

[Photo : YONHAP News]