At least 100 North Korean soldiers killed, 1,000 injured in fighting in Russia, South Korean intelligence says

SEOUL -- North Korea may dispatch more troops to Russia despite casualties, South Korea’s National Intelligence told lawmakers during a briefing Thursday.

At least 100 North Korean soldiers died, and over 1,000 were injured during combat in Kursk, Russia, South Korean lawmaker Lee Sung-kwon of the ruling party told reporters Thursday after a closed-door briefing with South Korea’s National Intelligence.

U.S. and Ukrainian estimates suggest there are between 10,000 and 12,000 North Korean troops currently inside Russia, with their focus on the Kursk region. Ukrainian and American officials now say North Korean forces are actively engaged in fighting and taking casualties.

The Ukrainian Defense Ministry's Main Directorate of Intelligence (GUR) this week reported at least 30 North Korean troops killed and wounded in Kursk.

South Korea’s National Intelligence found evidence suggesting there were numerous North Korean casualties including senior officials during missile, drone attacks and drills, Lee said Thursday.

The reason why there were so many casualties despite a small number of battles is because North Korean soldiers were deployed as frontline shock troops in an unfamiliar open field and lack abilities to respond to drones, Lee said.

There are complaints from the Russian army that North Korean soldiers are becoming a burden due to their ignorance in drones, Lee added after the briefing.

ABC News' David Brennan and Ellie Kaufman contributed to this report.