North Korea has sent 5,000 construction troops to Russia since September

South Korea’s intelligence agency says North Korea has dispatched about 5,000 construction troops to Russia since September, with a total of nearly 10,000 North Korean personnel now believed to be stationed near the Russia-Ukraine border. At least 600 North Korean soldiers have reportedly been killed in the war, with thousands injured.

Analysts say Pyongyang is effectively trading manpower for Russian financial aid, military technology, and food and energy supplies — a way to bypass UN sanctions tied to its nuclear and missile programs.

Despite deepening ties with Moscow, Kim Jong Un is still seen as open to talks with the United States when “conditions are right,” according to South Korean lawmaker Lee Seong-kweun. Kim did not respond to Donald Trump’s recent offer to meet, but Seoul’s spy agency says Pyongyang had been quietly preparing for potential dialogue.

Kim’s growing international profile was on display in September, when he appeared alongside Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin at a military parade in Beijing. Meanwhile, a UN sanctions monitoring team reports North Korea is planning to send up to 40,000 additional laborers — including IT workers — to Russia, despite a UN ban on North Koreans earning income abroad.