North Korea readies more troops for Russia

 SEOUL: South Korea's Defence Ministry said North Korea was continuing preparations for an additional troop deployment to Russia, but had detected no signs that such a deployment was imminent, according to a South Korean lawmaker's office.

The assessment came after North Korea's Kim Yo Jong, sister of leader Kim Jong Un, last week denied Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's claim that Pyongyang planned to send up to 50,000 more troops to Russia to fight for its ally.

South Korea's Defence Ministry said in a statement to lawmaker Yu Yong-weon that North Korea had continued to supply Russia with weapons systems, including short-range ballistic missiles, according to Yu's office.

North Korea is estimated to have supplied Russia with more than 15 million rounds of artillery ammunition, measured in 152-millimetre shell equivalents, it said.

The lawmaker's office, citing a South Korean Defense Intelligence Agency assessment, said North Korean missiles used in the war may have improved in accuracy through battlefield data, alongside Russian technical advice and component support.

The ministry also said the development of some North Korean ballistic missiles and multiple rocket launchers assessed as being intended for use in a conflict with South Korea was nearing completion, the lawmaker's office said.

The ministry added that North Korea's Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile, capable of reaching the U.S. territory of Guam, was being prepared for operational deployment, according to Yu's office.

North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missiles have the flight capability to reach the US mainland, the ministry said, but key technologies, including warhead re-entry, have not been verified because all test launches have been conducted on lofted trajectories.

North Korea and Russia have deepened military cooperation since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with Pyongyang supplying artillery ammunition and missiles since 2023 and deploying troops from 2024, according to South Korean, Ukrainian and Western assessments.

 Moscow and Pyongyang have previously denied arms transfers.