"Some of the North Korean troops sent to Russia have already begun operations."

CNN "Some North Korean troops have already entered Ukraine"
North Korea's military assesses Russia's deployment in Kursk region
A civilian group called "North Korean troops have already been deployed to combat...Death in action"
Ukra aid group "North Korean military disguised as Russian minority"

[Anchor]
While attention is being paid to what duties North Korean troops dispatched to Russia will take and when they will be deployed to the battlefield, reports have emerged that they have already begun operations.

It was widely expected that the North Korean military would be deployed to the Ukrainian-occupied Kursk region, but it has already entered Ukraine.

I'm connecting with the reporter.

Reporter Kim Do Won! Please pass it on.

[Reporter]
Yes, it was reported by CNN in the United States, citing multiple Western intelligence officials.CNN reported that an official at

said that many North Korean troops appear to have already begun operations.

CNN interpreted that part of the North Korean military has already entered Ukraine.

Officials also say the size of the military will increase if the North Korean military moves to the front line after training in eastern Russia.

The National Intelligence Service estimates that the number of North Korean troops dispatched is about 19,000 by the end of the year, and the U.S. Department of Defense estimates that there are about 10,000 troops.

The U.S. Department of Defense and NATO have determined that the North Korean military will head to the Kursk region, a Russian-occupied territory in Ukraine.

CNN pointed out that the North Korean military's presence inside Ukraine is a step further from this evaluation.

However, U.S. officials have drawn a line that such information is not yet available.

In the midst of this, it was argued that the North Korean military had already been put into battle and that there were also deaths.

The Ukrainian aid group 'Blue-Yellow' in Lithuania says Ukrainian and North Korean forces have already met in Kursk on the 25th.

He also claimed that all but one North Korean soldier was killed, and that the one who survived was a Buryat, a Russian minority.

Earlier, President Zelensky said he expected North Korean troops to be deployed to combat zones between the 27th and 28th, but no official testimony has been made yet that they have encountered them.

I'm Kim Do Won of YTN in the international department.