UN secretary general Antonio Guterres is “very concerned” about reports of North Korean troops on Russia’s soil and fears the “escalation of the war in Ukraine ”, his spokesperson said.

“We understand that more than 10,000 North Korean troops are currently in Russia, and a significant number of them have moved to the frontline areas including Kursk,” Jeon Ha-kyou, a spokesperson for Seoul’s defence ministry, told a briefing, citing intelligence authorities.