The presence of North Korean troops in Russia is no longer in doubt. According to estimates by South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, there are 10,000 soldiers stationed on the edge of Ukraine’s eastern border, in the Kursk region. These soldiers “were assigned to Russia’s air brigades and navy for tactical and intervention training. It is estimated that some engaged in combat” in the Kursk border region, Lee explained on November 20. Seong-kweun, member of a parliamentary committee dedicated to intelligence after a briefing from South Korean intelligence services.
According to information from Wall Street Journalthese thousands of soldiers would respond to the orders of one man: three-star general Kim Yong-bok. Very little known to the general public until he went to Russia to fight Ukraine, he is the highest ranking North Korean military official present on Russian territory and is one of the ten most important military figures in North Korea. The intelligence services of kyiv and Seoul recently confirmed its presence near the Russian front, reports the American daily. Officially, Colonel Kim Yong-bok is responsible for integrating North Korean troops with the Russians, absorbing battlefield information and establishing course of action for future deployments.
Until recently, the identity of this man, whose age is unknown according toNKNews agency specialist in North Korea, was relatively hidden due to his role as head of the special forces unit considered the largest in the world, with around 200,000 troops. Also known as the “Storm Corps”, this unit would carry out secret missions on the Korean peninsula to ward off the possibility of war in the area, explained to the Wall Street Journal Jeon Kyung-joo, a researcher at the South Korean government-funded Korea Institute for Defense Analysis. According to her, if North Korea has started to highlight Colonel General Kim Yong-bok, it is mainly to show Russia that a trusted hand has been sent to lead the deployment of North troops. Koreans. The newspaper The Cross further indicates that he is part of the very restricted circle of the North Korean military top brass who has direct access to the Kim family and has even sworn to give his life to protect them.
Medium-long term support
Colonel General Kim Yong-bok became a frequent companion of the North Korean leader, just after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Pyongyang in June, when the two countries agreed to a mutual defense pact. Michael Madden, an expert on North Korea’s leadership at the Stimson Center, a Washington-based think tank, told Wall Street Journal : “Kim Jong-un told the Russians: ‘I’m sending one of my best men. He’s sitting right next to me'”. According to a count from the British agency ReutersColonel Kim Yong-bok has appeared at seven events with the North Korean leader this year.
Still according to information from Wall Street JournalKim Yong-bok should not himself be mobilized to fight. But its presence is significant according to several observers, and signals North Korea’s interest in helping Russia in the coming weeks or even months. Especially since Russian forces have reportedly trained the North Koreans in essential front-line skills, such as artillery, trench clearance and drone operations, the US State Department said last week. “This is a large-scale and almost unprecedented deployment for the Korean People’s Army,” said Michael Madden, who believes that the general is in Russia as a representative of Kim Jong-un. “There are a number of administrative and liaison tasks to be completed, which is why Kim Jong-un has sent Kim Yong-bok as a proxy decision-maker until the presence of army units is fully operational “.
Other senior officers identified by Ukraine include Col. Gen. Ri Chang-ho, deputy chief of the General Staff and head of the General Reconnaissance Bureau, and Maj. Gen. Sin Kum-cheol, head of the Directorate main operational.