South Korea's military suspects North Korea is preparing to send more troops to Russia to fight Ukrainian forces, following reports of heavy casualties among North Korean soldiers due to a lack of modern combat training.

South Korea's military said on Friday that it suspects North Korea is preparing to send more troops to Russia to fight Ukrainian forces, even after suffering losses and seeing some of its soldiers captured.

North Korea's Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) met over two days this week and reported on its achievements during 2024 but state media made no mention of anticipated changes to the constitution that would further cement its hostile policy towards South Korea.

North Korea defended its right to maintain a nuclear weapons program at a United Nations disarmament conference held shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump referred to the North as a "nuclear power.

U.S. President Donald Trump said in an interview broadcast on Thursday that he plans to seek to engage North Korean leader Kim Jong Un anew after the two men developed a working relationship in Trump's first term.

South Korea said denuclearization was still the goal after President Donald Trump used a phrase that could imply recognition of North Korea as a nuclear-armed state.

John Kirby, White House national security communications adviser, said of Hegseth's remarks on North Korea's status as a nuclear power: "We've not made such a recognition. I can't speak to what the incoming team will—how they'll characterize it. We've not gone so far as to make that recognition."

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump will reach out to Kim Jong Un again, he said in an interview aired on Thursday (Jan 23), calling the North Korean leader with whom he previously met three times a "smart guy".

Pyongyang understood to be ‘accelerating’ dispatch of troops, despite them being used as ‘cannon fodder’ in Moscow’s war with Ukraine

North Korea may be accelerating plans to send more troops to replace frontline casualties incurred fighting Ukraine on behalf of Russia.

The attack came as South Korea’s military said North Korea is preparing to send more troops to join Russia ’s fight against Ukraine, despite Pyongyang suffering a high rate of losses among its existing deployment of 11,000 and seeing some of its soldiers captured.