North Korea Sent a Mystery Man to Lead Its Troops Fighting Ukraine

"In a country that fetes its military elites like celebrities, Col. Gen. Kim Yong Bok was rarely seen—or even mentioned—in public. His role leading North Korea’s special forces required him to keep a low profile to conceal his identity. But now he is a very public figure.

He is the top North Korean military official in Russia, where more than 11,000 North Korean soldiers have been deployed to aid Moscow’s efforts to dislodge Ukrainian troops who have seized a chunk of Russian territory.
Kyiv and Seoul officials have confirmed his presence in Russia. The number of dispatched North Korean soldiers to Russia could ultimately reach as high as 100,000, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday. He didn’t cite specific evidence for the claim.
Col. Gen. Kim isn’t expected to see any combat himself. But the dispatch of one of North Korea’s most important military officials signals North Korea’s interest in assisting Russia deep into next year." MS