South Korean intelligence has confirmed the withdrawal of North Korean soldiers from the front lines.

North Korean troops, considering the current situation, are not participating in combat operations in the Kursk region due to significant losses.

This was reported by AFP, citing South Korean intelligence.

"It seems that since mid-January, North Korean troops stationed in the Kursk region of Russia have not been involved in combat," stated the National Intelligence Service of South Korea (NIS), as reported by the agency.

Last week, The New York Times reported, referencing American and Ukrainian sources, that North Korean military personnel had been withdrawn from the front line due to casualties.

The publication noted that they had not been observed at the front for about two weeks, approximately since mid-January.

Sources suggested that the decision to withdraw might be temporary.

Western sources previously informed the BBC that in the Kursk region, by mid-January, around a thousand North Korean servicemen could have been killed, and over 4,000 sustained injuries of varying severity. Thus, the losses of the North Korean contingent in just a few months amounted to over 40%.

Background. Earlier we reported that men in North Korea are purchasing fake medical certificates to avoid conscription into the Russian war.

The cost of bribing medical workers for a forged certificate has increased fivefold – from 100 to 500 dollars, with a monthly salary in North Korea being just 3 dollars.