8,000 North Korean soldiers are expected to join the fight in Ukraine “in the coming days.”

Most of the North Korean troops deployed to Russia are currently stationed near the Ukrainian border and are expected to join the fight against Ukraine “in the coming days,” according to senior U.S. and South Korean diplomats and military officials.

“We now estimate that there are approximately 10,000 North Korean troops in total in Russia, and the latest information suggests that up to 8,000 of these North Korean forces are stationed in the Kursk region,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday.

Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin jointly hosted South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and Defense Secretary Kim Yong-hyun in Washington on Thursday to discuss pressing security threats as they closely monitor North Korea's deployment of thousands of troops to Russia.

“Our assessment is that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's forces have trained these North Korean soldiers for artillery operations and drones [unmanned aerial vehicle] operations and basic infantry operations,” Austin said during a joint press conference.

He also noted that Putin had provided North Korean troops with Russian “uniforms and equipment,” and “all of this strongly suggests that Russia intends to use these foreign forces in frontline operations in its dream war against Ukraine,” Austin added added.

According to US officials, over half a million Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. With an estimated 1,200 casualties a day, Russia is now turning to North Korea, a pariah state, to bolster its armed forces.

While Russia has used foreign volunteers and mercenaries in the Ukraine War, the current deployment marks the first time in 100 years that Russia has invited another nation's regular military forces onto its territory. If these North Korean troops participate in combat or combat support operations against Ukraine, they would become legitimate military targets, U.S. officials said.

In Kiev, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia was in talks with North Korea about using “large numbers of civilians” to work at Russian weapons production facilities. Zelensky said he wanted to talk to South Korea about air defense assistance.

Western nations have also raised concerns about what North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's regime will receive from Moscow in return for its troops. North Korea is under international sanctions because of its illegal nuclear and missile programs.

No evidence of Russian technology

Early Thursday, North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time in nearly a year, demonstrating a potential advance in its ability to launch long-range nuclear strikes on the American mainland

That prompted swift condemnation from South Korea, Japan and the United States, which accused Pyongyang of raising tensions and risking destabilizing regional security.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said through a spokesman that North Korea's missile launches using ballistic technology violated UN Security Council resolutions.

South Korea announced it would impose new sanctions on North Korea, including export controls on materials essential to making solid-fuel rockets.

“Our assessment is at a very early stage and we see no indication at this time that there was Russian involvement,” Austin said.

Meanwhile, visiting South Korean officials in Washington noted that while they cannot confirm Russia's technical assistance in North Korea's latest ICBM launch, they remain concerned about the possible transfer of technology and weapons from Russia to North Korea.

Speaking through a translator, Foreign Minister Cho told reporters: “We also need to observe what the DPRK receives in return from Russia” before deciding whether to provide arms support to Ukraine. “We are not in a position to share the details at this time,” he added.

Cho was referring to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name.

The South Korean government said it would consider sending “weapons for defense and offense” and may also send military and intelligence personnel to Ukraine to analyze North Korea's tactics on the battlefield and assist in interrogating captured North Koreans help.

U.S. officials said additional security assistance to Ukraine would be announced soon and that over 50 countries would continue to receive assistance in strengthening Ukraine's defenses in the coming months.

China's silence

Washington and Seoul also urged Beijing to use its influence over Pyongyang to curb North Korea's provocative activities.

Blinken said senior U.S. officials had a “vigorous conversation” with Chinese officials this week. He expressed concern about Russia's possible efforts to bolster North Korea's military capabilities, which “should be a real concern for China because it deeply destabilizes the region.”

Speaking through an interpreter, Defense Minister Kim told reporters: “China is still silent.” A clearer assessment is that Beijing is watching and waiting. However, if the situation worsens, China could intervene, either as a mediator or in another capacity.

“There will be a point where China's interests will be violated, and at that point China will begin to play a certain role,” Kim added.

Domestic instability

Some experts believe that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is facing domestic political instability. Although he managed to alleviate some of these problems by raising money and food from Russia through the sale of ammunition, his dwindling supplies led him to switch to selling soldiers as a new source of income.

“The Russians are claiming 1,200 casualties a day as they fight in Ukraine,” said Bruce Bennett, a senior defense analyst at the RAND Corporation. “If they exploit the North Koreans in the same way — which they probably will — there will be massive casualties among North Korean forces.”

“This is a really bad development for them [North Korean] Families whose children were sent to Ukraine. “There could be real instability created by his action,” Bennett told VOA.

VOA reporter Kim Lewis contributed to this report.