Ukra "200 North Korean Combined Forces Killed"...U.S. Confirms First Casualties in North Korea

[Anchor]
It has been claimed that a combined unit of North Korean and Russian forces was attacked by Ukraine, killing 200 people.

In this regard, the U.S. government officially confirmed for the first time that North Korean troops sent to Russia were involved in fighting and casualties.

Reporter Kim Ji-young's report.

[Reporter]
Ukraine's military intelligence service has claimed to have caused fatal and irreparable losses to combined units of North Korean and Russian forces.

At the same time, he said that the number of deaths reached 200, but he did not mention how many North Korean soldiers were included.

Earlier, the Ukrainian military released photos and videos of dozens of soldiers on its Telegram channel, saying they were North Korean soldiers killed in Kursk.

However, the image quality is not clear, so it is unclear whether it is a North Korean soldier's body.

The Kremlin declined to comment in this regard.

On the other hand, the U.S. government says North Korean troops sent to Russia have fought Ukrainian forces in Kursk, causing casualties.

This is the first time the U.S. government has officially confirmed the North Korean military's engagement and casualties.

[Mash Miller / U.S. State Department spokesman] They have served in the war and are legitimate targets for the Ukrainian military as combatants. We witnessed North Korean soldiers killed in combat on the battlefield in Russia.]
At a press conference, President-elect Trump pointed out that the U.S. approval of the use of long-range missiles led to the dispatch of North Korean troops.

[Donald Trump / U.S. President-elect] (The attack on the Russian mainland) was a bad thing and called for North Korean intervention. Someone who gets along very well with me and is the only one who can do that. But a lot of bad things happened (with the attack on the Russian mainland).

Trump also emphasized that he would talk to Putin and Zelensky to stop the war in Ukraine, drawing keen attention.

I'm Kim Jiyoung of YTN.