North Korea is preparing to send more troops to Russia to fight in Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) warned on Friday (Jan 24), Yonhap News Agency reported. 

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This comes after the North Korean military suffered the loss of many of its soldiers. 

The claim by South Korea comes as US President Donald Trump suggested he would attempt to rekindle his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, calling him a "smart guy" in an interview with Fox News. 

Also read: North Korea soldiers fighting in Ukraine were told to kill selves before capture: Seoul

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South Korea's JCS said that four months after the North sent an estimated 11,000 troops to the Ukraine conflict, a significant number of whom have been killed or wounded, the regime “is suspected of accelerating follow-up measures and preparation for an additional dispatch of troops”.

However, the Joint Chiefs of Staff did not provide details of what follow-up measures North Korea is considering. 

Notably, North Korea began sending its troops to the war after Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed on a mutual defence pact designed to strengthen their alliance against what the leaders called a US-led “Western hegemony”.

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Also read: North Korea 'significantly benefiting' from its troops fighting in Russia war: US at UNSC

Over 300 North Korean soldiers have lost their lives, and 2,700 were injured while fighting for Russia in the war against Ukraine.

Trump to reach out to Kim 

The US President said in an interview on Thursday that he planned to resurrect attempts to engage Kim, whom he met three times during his first term in the White House. 

When asked if he would "reach out" to Kim again, Trump responded, “I will, yeah. He liked me.”

Also read: 'Evidence of involvement': Zelensky says Ukraine captured two North Korean soldiers in Kursk region

Moreover, North Korean soldiers fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine have been ordered by Pyongyang to take their own lives rather than get captured, as reported earlier this month. 

"Memos found on deceased soldiers indicate that the North Korean authorities pressured them to commit suicide or self-detonate before capture," South Korean lawmaker Lee Seong-kweun claimed in comments to reporters, citing information from the National Intelligence Service.

Also read: North Korea's Kim unveils country's largest warship in significant boost to naval power: Report

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Jan 12 proposed a soldier swap to North Korea, stating that he would hand them over to Pyongyang in exchange for Ukrainian POWs that were held by Russia.

(With inputs from agencies)