North Korea plans to ship army building staff and deminers to Russia : NPR

[ad_1] <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/8091x5394+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fe8%2Fb7%2Ff60379aa4e44b77f63c89050c240%2Fap25168820113793.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/8091x5394+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fe8%2Fb7%2Ff60379aa4e44b77f63c89050c240%2Fap25168820113793.jpg" class="img" alt="In this photo provided by the North Korean government, Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu, third left, meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, second right, at the headquarters of the ruling Workers' Party in Pyongyang, North Korea, Tuesday, June 17, 2025. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)" fetchpriority="high"/> On this photograph offered by the North Korean authorities, Russian Safety Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu, third left, meets with North Korean chief Kim Jong Un, second proper, on the headquarters of the ruling Employees' Occasion in Pyongyang, North Korea, Tuesday, June 17, 2025. Impartial journalists weren't given entry to cowl the occasion depicted on this picture distributed by the North Korean authorities. The content material of this picture is as offered and can't be independently verified. Korean language watermark on picture as offered by supply reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central Information Company. 朝鮮通信社/AP/KCNA through KNS conceal caption

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朝鮮通信社/AP/KCNA through KNS SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea will ship 1000's of army building staff and deminers to help reconstruction work in Russia's Kursk area, a prime Russian official mentioned Tuesday, the newest signal of increasing cooperation between the nations.

North Korea has already equipped 1000's of fight troops and an enormous quantity of standard weapons to again Russia's battle in opposition to Ukraine. In April, Pyongyang and Moscow mentioned that their troopers fought collectively to repel a Ukrainian incursion into Russia's Kursk border area, although Ukraine has insisted it nonetheless has troops current there.

Wrapping up a one-day go to to Pyongyang, Russian Safety Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu mentioned that North Korean chief Kim Jong Un determined to ship 1,000 sappers to clear mines within the Kursk area and 5,000 army building staff to revive infrastructure there, in keeping with Russia's state information company, Tass.

One other Russian state information company, RIA Novosti, carried the same report.

"Following the expulsion of invaders from Russian soil, we have agreed to proceed our constructive cooperation, with the Korean aspect offering help within the restoration of the Kursk area," Shoigu mentioned, in keeping with RIA Novosti. "This can be a type of brotherly assist being despatched by the Korean individuals and their chief, Kim Jong Un, to our nation."

Shoigu mentioned that Moscow and Pyongyang agreed to erect memorials in each international locations in honor of North Korean troopers who died whereas preventing within the Kursk area, in keeping with Tass and RIA Novosti.

Kim repeats full help of Russia's battle efforts in opposition to Ukraine North Korea's official Korean Central Information Company mentioned Wednesday that Kim confirmed the contents of North Korea's cooperation with Russia with regard to Kursk's present scenario however did not point out the dispatch of military building staff and deminers cited by Russian media.

KCNA quoted Kim as expressing his resolve to "invariably and unconditionally help" what he referred to as Russian efforts to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Kim has beforehand made related feedback in help of Russia's battle on Ukraine.

KCNA additionally mentioned that Kim and Shoigu authorised some plans for "conveying lengthy the heroic feats displayed by" North Korean troops in operations to liberate the Kursk space, an obvious reference to the memorial building plan.

North Korea and Russia have by no means disclosed what number of North Korean troops have been despatched to Russia or what number of of them have been killed. However in keeping with South Korean, U.S. and Ukraine assessments, about 15,000 North Korean troopers have been deployed to Russia. South Korea's spy company mentioned in April that about 600 North Korean troopers died on the Russia-Ukraine battlefronts.

The deepening ties between North Korea and Russia have raised worries among the many U.S., South Korea and their companions that Russian President Vladimir Putin could in return present Kim with much-needed refined applied sciences that may assist advance his nuclear and missile packages.

The 2 international locations, each in confrontations with the U.S. and its allies, have sharply grown nearer to one another in recent times. In 2024, Kim and Putin signed a landmark protection treaty that requires all sides to supply assist if the opposite is attacked.

It was Shoigu's third go to to North Korea in about three months. The 2 international locations have exchanged high-level visits in previous years, with Kim travelling to Russia in 2023 and Putin to North Korea in 2024. Many observers say Kim may quickly go to Russia once more for an additional summit with Putin.

South Korea, U.S. and Japan react South Korea's International Ministry on Thursday expressed "grave concern" over what it described as ongoing illicit cooperation between North Korea and Russia.

The U.S. State Division instructed South Korea's Yonhap information company that Russia's continued use of North Korean staff and troopers have been "deeply regarding" and acknowledged that Pyongyang was "now counting on Russia to supply it with desperately wanted funds in change for labor and soldier for rent schemes." Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba additionally expressed deep concern, saying advancing cooperation between Russia and North Korea threatens to jeopardize international safety.

On Wednesday, South Korea, the U.S. and Japan flew fighter jets for a trilateral aerial coaching off South Korea's southern Jeju island as a part of their efforts to spice up safety cooperation to deal with North Korea's evolving nuclear threats, in keeping with the South Korean air pressure.

In South Korea, there are worries that the 2024 North Korea-Russia protection treaty would result in Russia intervening in a possible battle on the Korean Peninsula. Specialists say North Korea's army would additionally acquire helpful fight experiences from the Russia-Ukraine battle.

South Korea, the U.S. and others have acknowledged the continuing North Korean-Russia army cooperation contain parts that represent clear violations of U.N. Safety Council resolutions, which ban any weapons switch involving North Korea and required member states to not problem work permits to North Koreans.

In its closed-door briefing to lawmakers on April 30, South Korea's Nationwide Intelligence Service mentioned that Russia had given North Korea air protection missiles, digital warfare tools, drones and know-how for spy satellite tv for pc launches. The NIS mentioned that 15,000 North Korean laborers have additionally been despatched to Russia underneath bilateral industrial cooperation packages, in keeping with lawmakers who attended the briefing.