Will North Korean troops appear in Russia's Red Square?"North Korea proposes sending troops"

[Anchor]
The Kremlin says the North Korean military could participate in Russia's World War II victory anniversary event next year.

It is expected to show more military closeness to North Korea and Russia, and reports say that North Korea's dispatch of troops to Russia was first proposed by North Korea.

Reporter Kim Jandi's report.

[Reporter]
Every year on May 9, the Victory Day event is held in Red Square to commemorate the day the Soviet Union won over Nazi Germany in World War II.

Russia's Kremlin considers next year's 80th anniversary event very important and says North Korean troops can participate in the military parade.

Earlier on the 30th of last month, the Russian Defense Minister also said that he had invited the North Korean military to the Victory Day military parade and that he was waiting for a positive decision.

If the North Korean military participates in next year's event, it will be an opportunity to show off closer military relations between North Korea and Russia following the North Korean military's dispatch to Russia.

In the midst of this, reports have emerged that the North Korean military's dispatch to Russia, estimated to be more than 10,000, stems from North Korea's proposal.

The New York Times quoted U.S. intelligence officials on the 23rd local time, saying that the dispatch of North Korean troops was a North Korean initiative and that Putin quickly accepted it.

Until now, the main evaluation of the West was that North Korea's dispatch showed the urgency of Russia, which is suffering from supply and demand of troops amid the prolonged war,

The U.S. intelligence authorities believe that Russia did not request the dispatch of troops first, but that North Korea proposed it on its own.

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has claimed that more than 3,000 North Korean soldiers have been killed or injured on Russia's Kursk front.

He added that North Korea risks sending more troops and military equipment to Russia.

Ukraine has released a series of videos of engagement with North Korean forces and called on allies to respond more strongly, saying that strengthening military cooperation between North Korea and Russia poses a serious threat to global security.

I'm Kim Jandi from YTN.