Kyiv/New York: Ukraine’s government has publicly identified three North Korean generals it claims are accompanying the thousands of troops from the Korean People’s Army deployed to Russia in support of Moscow’s ongoing war in Ukraine. In a statement delivered to the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday, Ukraine’s delegation revealed that these generals are part of a larger contingent of at least 500 North Korean officers sent to bolster Russian military efforts.
The plans reportedly involve organizing the North Korean forces into at least five formations, each consisting of 2,000 to 3,000 soldiers, which will be integrated into Russian units to obscure their presence on the battlefield. While Russia has not denied the involvement of North Korean troops in its military operations, it has maintained that its cooperation with North Korea is within legal bounds. Following an initial denial, North Korea has also defended the deployment, asserting it aligns with international law.
During the same Security Council meeting, Russian envoy Vassily Nebenzia emphasized that Russia’s military interactions with North Korea do not violate any international regulations and affirmed Moscow’s right to seek assistance from its allies.
Ukraine has identified Colonel General Kim Yong Bok as a key figure in this deployment. He is a senior general overseeing special forces troops, including the XI Corps, also referred to as the Storm Corps, which the South Korean intelligence service has indicated has been dispatched to Russia. Michael Madden, a North Korean leadership expert at the U.S.-based Stimson Center, noted that Kim’s role extends beyond mere command, as he heads the KPA Light Infantry Training Guidance Bureau, which is responsible for light infantry units attached to KPA corps and special missions for the Reconnaissance General Bureau, North Korea’s primary intelligence agency.
This year, Kim has made seven public appearances alongside North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, including events related to special forces exercises. “This is a large and almost unprecedented deployment for the KPA,” Madden remarked, suggesting that Kim is in Russia as a proxy decision-maker for Kim Jong Un until the North Korean units are fully operational.
According to Madden, Kim Yong Bok may eventually relinquish command to a subordinate officer, likely at the rank of Senior Colonel or Major General.
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The other senior officers named by Ukraine include Colonel General Ri Chang Ho, who serves as the Deputy Chief of the General Staff and heads the Reconnaissance General Bureau, as well as Major General Sin Kum Cheol, the leader of the Main Operational Directorate. Ri has been subject to sanctions by South Korea since approximately 2022, having been implicated in overseeing significant cyber-hacking operations aimed at stealing technology and foreign currency.
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Like Kim Yong Bok, Ri has participated in an unusually high number of events with Kim Jong Un this year, including inspections of a naval base on the country’s east coast. While the specifics of Sin’s career are less well-documented, Madden speculated that given his one-star rank, he is likely to take command of the North Korean troops in Russia once Kim Yong Bok and Ri Chang Ho depart.
