One of the key military figures of North Korea, Colonel General Kim Yong Bok, led a contingent of North Korean troops in Kurshchyna. He is one of the ten most influential military officials in the country and often acts as an aide to Kim Jong-un.
Points of attention
- Colonel-General Kim Yong-bok headed the North Korean military contingent in Kurshchyna and is an aide to Kim Jong-un.
- The purpose of his mission to Russia is to integrate North Korean troops with Russian troops, study combat experience and prepare for possible future deployments.
- A group of 50,000 Russian and North Korean troops is planning a large-scale counteroffensive in the Kursk region.
- Ukrainian officials expect an attack involving North Korean troops in Kurshchyna in the coming days.
- North Korean soldiers are currently training alongside Russian troops in the Kursk region, but Ukrainian defenses may hold the territory for some time.
What is known about Colonel General Kim Yong Bok
As the publication notes, Colonel General Kim Yong Bok was rarely seen in public. His role as head of North Korean special forces required him to remain anonymous.
But now he has become a public figure. He is the North Korean military's top representative in Russia, where more than 11,000 North Korean soldiers are already deployed to support Moscow in its war against Ukraine.
Ukrainian and South Korean officials confirmed his presence in Russia. Formally, Kim's mission is to integrate North Korean forces with Russian ones, study combat experience for further implementation at home, and prepare for possible future deployments.
Colonel General Kim has no plans to take part in combat, but his trip to Russia shows North Korea's interest in supporting Moscow until the end of next year.
Kim Yong Bok became famous after Vladimir Putin's visit to Pyongyang in June, where a mutual defense pact was signed. Since then, Kim has accompanied Kim Jong-un on various occasions, including visits to flood-affected areas and military exercises.
The last mention of him in the North Korean media was on October 6. Shortly thereafter, he left for Russia with the first batch of North Korean troops.
According to Ukrainian and South Korean officials, Kim Yong-bok is one of approximately 500 North Korean officers stationed in Russia. For most of his career, he remained in the shadows, and biographical details about him, including his age and place of birth, are still unknown.
Why does Russia have North Korean soldiers?
As the journalists managed to find out, a 50,000-strong group of Russian and North Korean troops plans to launch a large-scale counteroffensive in the Kursk region.
As of today, the Russian army is actively attacking Ukrainian positions in Kurshchyna with rocket strikes and artillery fire. Despite this, the large-scale offensive of the occupiers has not yet begun.
Ukrainian officials said they expect such an attack involving North Korean troops in the coming days.
In addition, it is emphasized that North Korean soldiers are currently training together with Russian troops in the extreme western part of the Kursk region.
Ukraine still has strong defenses in the Kursk region and may be able to hold those territories, at least for a while, one of the Western insiders said.
