South Korea's intelligence agency stated on friday that it had verified the capture of the soldier, who was sent to aid Russia's efforts in Ukraine. Pyongyang has dispatched thousands of troops to bolster Russian forces, particularly in the Kursk border area, where ukraine launched an unexpected incursion in August. The National Intelligence service of south korea released a statement affirming, "Through real-time information sharing with an allied nation's intelligence agency, it has been confirmed that one injured North Korean soldier has been captured." An intelligence source informed AFP that Ukrainian forces apprehended the soldier, although the specifics of the capture's location remain unknown. This announcement marks the first confirmation of a North Korean soldier's capture, following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's comments earlier in the week regarding nearly 3,000 North Korean troops having been "killed or wounded" thus far. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) in Seoul reported on monday that over 1,000 North Korean soldiers have suffered casualties. Additionally, the JCS noted that north korea is apparently "preparing for the rotation or additional deployment of soldiers" and is supplying the Russian military with "240mm rocket launchers and 170mm self-propelled artillery." South Korea's military assesses that north korea aims to enhance its conventional warfare skills by acquiring combat experience from the war between russia and Ukraine. On friday, North Korean state media conveyed that Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a New Year's greeting to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, stating, "the relationship between our two nations has strengthened since our discussions in june in Pyongyang." A significant defense agreement took effect in december following the exchange of ratification documents between the two countries. During a june meeting, Putin praised the agreement as a "breakthrough document."
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