In a report attributed to the Korean People’s Army, KCNA said its troops assisted Russian units “to completely liberate” the Kursk border region, acting on orders from leader Kim Jong-un.
It added that the deployment was carried out under a mutual defense treaty between North Korea and Russia, and pledged to support Russian forces again if called upon.
Moscow’s own admission came last week when Russian Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov publicly praised the “heroism” of North Korean fighters – the first time Russia has confirmed their presence.
Western officials previously told the BBC they believed at least 1,000 of the approximately 11,000 North Korean troops sent to Kursk had been killed in three months of fighting.
The United States condemned Pyongyang’s revelation, saying North Korea “must now bear full responsibility for perpetuating this war”, a U.S. State Department spokesperson said.
South Korean and other Western intelligence agencies have long reported the deployment of North Korean “Storm Corps” units to the front line.
(jh)
Source: BBC, RMF24