North's Russia-bound troops may deploy in July or August, NIS says

North Korea is expected to dispatch an additional 6,000 personnel — including military engineers and construction workers — to Russia as early as July or August, according to South Korea's National Intelligence Service on Thursday.

National Intelligence Service director Lee Jong-seok attends a parliamentary intelligence committee meeting held at the National Assembly in western Seoul on June 26. [KIM SEONG-RYONG]

North Korea is expected to dispatch an additional 6,000 personnel — including military engineers and construction workers — to Russia as early as July or August to assist with demining and reconstruction efforts in the Kursk region, according to South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) on Thursday.

“North Korea continues to send troops and weapons to Russia, significantly aiding Moscow’s war efforts, including in the recapture of Kursk," NIS Director Lee Jong-seok told lawmakers during a parliamentary Intelligence Committee meeting held Thursday.

Committee members from each major party — Democratic Party Rep. Park Sun-won and People Power Party Rep. Lee Seong-kweun — briefed reporters on Lee’s testimony.

Regarding the potential deployment timeline, Lee reportedly said, “In the first troop dispatch of 11,000 soldiers, the decision came roughly one month after Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu visited Pyongyang and reached an agreement. North Korea has recently begun selecting personnel for the next deployment, which supports the projected time frame.”

Lee also reported that North Korea is believed to have supplied Russia with roughly 10 million rounds of missiles and long-range artillery shells using ships and military aircraft. In return, Russia has provided economic support as well as military technology such as air defense systems, electronic warfare equipment, space launch vehicle engines, drones and missile guidance system upgrades.

“According to Ukrainian intelligence, Russia may launch a summer offensive in July or August,” Lee said. “Ukraine is urgently seeking to turn the tide through strikes on Russian air bases and appeals for international military support. With another North Korean deployment likely, Pyongyang and Moscow’s cooperation may deepen further.”

Lee added that the government is working to minimize any potential repercussions for the Korean Peninsula and ensure the safety of Koreans abroad.

National Intelligence Service (NIS) director Lee Jong-seok attends a parliamentary intelligence committee meeting held at the National Assembly in western Seoul on June 26. [KIM SEONG-RYONG]

On the Middle East, Lee said that although Israel and Iran reached a cease-fire agreement 12 days after renewed hostilities, tensions remain high.

“Hostilities could resume at any time, given the mutual animosity,” he said. “Israel may reignite the conflict depending on its domestic political agenda and Iran, still managing internal unrest, may also re-engage to assert its influence.”

He warned that the Israel-Hamas conflict remains unresolved and that ongoing clashes with the Houthis, Syria and Lebanon leave room for broader escalation.

Lee also reported that 32 percent of Koreans in Israel and 41 percent in Iran have safely evacuated via Jordan, Egypt and Turkmenistan. As of now, there have been no reported casualties among the approximately 22,000 Koreans residing in the Middle East.

Meanwhile, the NIS said it could not conclusively confirm that U.S. airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities on June 21 had destroyed the sites.

After the meeting, Rep. Park told reporters, “The destructive power of bunker busters can vary significantly depending on soil, geological and rock conditions. The intelligence agency believes the outcome should be assessed across a range of scenarios and cannot be definitively stated.”

U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed the facilities were completely destroyed, but the NIS is taking a more cautious stance.

One Intelligence Committee member said there was mention that “due to the lack of evidence of enriched uranium leakage, it’s difficult to conclude that the key facilities were fully destroyed.”

Another member said, “While we’re not necessarily endorsing reports by CNN or the New York Times suggesting limited damage, we’re also not accepting the U.S. government’s position that the facilities were completely destroyed.”

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff. BY HA JUN-HO, JANG SEO-YUN [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]