The number of North Korean citizens entering Russia dropped sharply at the beginning of 2025, according to data from the FSB’s border service, Mediazona reports.
Statistics published by the FSB show that about 300 North Koreans entered Russia in the first quarter of this year, with just three listing “study” as the purpose of their visit.
In 2024, North Korean citizens made roughly 13,000 trips to Russia. According to the FSB, there was a sharp rise in the number of arrivals citing “study” as their reason for entry in the second half of the year, even though the quotas for foreign students at Russian universities remained unchanged.
In the fall of 2024, North Korea sent military personnel to Russia. South Korean intelligence estimates that around 15,000 North Korean troops were deployed to fight in the Kursk region.
For months, Russian and North Korean authorities did not officially confirm that North Korean soldiers were involved in fighting alongside Russian forces. It was only in late April that North Korea announced the deployment had been carried out under orders from Kim Jong Un. Russian President Vladimir Putin, in turn, publicly thanked Kim Jong Un for North Korea’s participation in the battle for the Kursk region.
