Some high-ranking North Korean military officials and troops deployed to Russia for the war in Ukraine might move to the frontline, South Korean lawmakers said on Tuesday after being briefed by the country's spy agency, UNN reports citing Reuters.
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The lawmakers did not give any timeline, but the comments came after NATO confirmed Pyongyang's deployment of troops to Russia and said military units had been deployed in Russia's Kursk region near the border with Ukraine.
The military in Russia has been trying to teach North Koreans military terminology, said Lee Sung-kwon, a member of the parliamentary intelligence committee, during a press conference, citing an intelligence agency assessment.
"The Russian military taught the North Korean military about 100 Russian military terms, such as 'back to position,' 'fire,' and 'launch'... but the North Korean military had a hard time (understanding)," Lee added, saying the intelligence agency did not know if the communication problems would be resolved.
North Korea is ready to launch another military reconnaissance satellite with technical support from Moscow, said Rep. Park Song-won, referring to South Korea's National Intelligence Service.
Pyongyang has vowed to launch more spy satellites, although its last attempt earlier this year failed when the device exploded minutes after launch.
The spy agency has been closely monitoring North Korea's activities, including the possibility of Pyongyang conducting a seventh nuclear test after the November 5 US presidential election, Park said.
According to lawmakers who attended a hearing of the parliamentary intelligence committee, North Korea also sent about 4,000 workers to Russia this year.