South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) reported on Oct. 18 that North Korea had begun deploying special forces to Russia on Oct. 8 and released supporting data, including satellite images. This image shows a Russian vessel in operation on Oct. 12, transporting North Korean troops. /Courtesy of the National Intelligence Service

Following South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) announcement on Oct. 18 that North Korea had sent 12,000 troops to Russia, videos purportedly showing North Korean military activity in Russia surfaced on social media. The South Korean government views this as a sign that their deployment to the battlefield may be imminent.

A government source told the Chosun Ilbo on Oct. 20, “We are closely sharing intelligence on North Korea’s troop deployment with our ally, the U.S.,” adding, “In this case, we may have more intelligence on North Korea than what our allies (the U.S.) have.”

The NIS released three satellite images related to the deployment, all sourced from South Korean providers. One was taken by a government-operated satellite, while the other two were obtained from the private satellite provider Airbus Defence and Space. South Korea has reportedly shared high-resolution satellite images and intelligence with allies like the U.S., but they have not been made public.

Dozens of North Korean soldiers deployed to Russia receive uniforms and other supplies from Russian military officials in this grab from a video released by Ukraine's Center for Strategic Communication (Spravdi) on Oct. 18, 2024.

Diplomatic sources suggest that South Korea is also exchanging intelligence with Ukraine, a key party in this situation. A security expert mentioned that a Ukrainian official is believed to have recently visited South Korea.

Ukraine’s Center for Strategic Communication and Information Security (Spravdi) released a video on Oct. 18 showing soldiers, presumed to be North Korean, receiving Russian military supplies. The video also captured voices in a North Korean dialect saying, “Don’t cross over” and “Hey, come out.” The pro-Russian Telegram account Para Pax also shared two videos showing North Korean soldiers allegedly training for the Ukraine war. U.S. broadcaster CNN revealed documents provided by Spravdi, which included a Korean-language survey used by the Russian military to collect North Korean soldiers’ uniform sizes.

White House National Security Council (NSC) spokesperson Sean Savett told the Chosun Ilbo, “We are deeply concerned about reports of North Korean soldiers fighting on behalf of Russia. If true, this is a dangerous development.”