In a recent interview, a representative from South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) discussed their findings regarding North Korea’s military support for Russia amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The NIS claims to have confirmed that North Korea is providing troop assistance to Russia and has released satellite images showing Russian vessels transporting North Korean soldiers. According to sources, these satellites are operated by the South Korean government.
Despite these allegations, both Russia and North Korea have denied the accusations of troop deployments. The Korea Herald cited an insider who mentioned that while the NIS released satellite photos as evidence, they did not disclose the specific source of these images.
The NIS revealed satellite images taken on October 12, which appear to show Russian ships nearing the waters off the coast of Wonsan, North Korea. These images were likely captured using Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), a technology that synthesizes images from radar data reflected off objects, allowing for effective imaging regardless of day or weather conditions.
The South Korean military has previously launched reconnaissance satellites equipped with SAR technology, but photos captured by these military satellites are typically classified and not used in public reports. Instead, publicly available images are expected to come from multifunctional satellites like the Arirang 5, which are operated by the government.
According to informed sources, the NIS has synthesized satellite images obtained from both government and military sources, as well as from private foreign companies, to confirm that North Korea is indeed dispatching special forces to support Russia.
In a press release on October 18, the NIS stated that on October 8, North Korea decided to send 12,000 troops to assist Russia. Based on intelligence gathered by South Korean authorities, over 1,500 North Korean special forces troops have already been transported by Russian ships to Vladivostok for acclimatization training, with plans to move a second group of troops soon.
