South Korea's spy agency says North Korea’s planned dispatch of thousands of military construction workers and deminers to Russia’s Kursk region will likely take place as early as July or August.

North Korea will send 6,000 military workers and combat engineers to help rebuild Russia's Kursk region, Moscow's top security official said, in the latest show of growing ties between the two countries.

North Korea plans to send thousands of military construction workers and deminers to Russia’s Kursk region by July or August. Following a meeting between Kim Jong Un and Sergei Shoigu, around 6,000 personnel will be deployed as Pyongyang bolsters Russia’s war efforts.