North Korean troops sent to Russia “gorge on pornography”

North Korean soldiers stationed in Russia have reportedly accessed the unrestricted internet for the first time, and many have used this newfound freedom to view pornography, it is said Financial Times Journalist Gideon Rachman.

“A normally reliable source tells me that the North Korean soldiers sent to Russia have never had full access to the Internet before. That's why they devour themselves with pornography.” Rachman posted on his X account.

This level of internet access represents a significant change for North Korean troops, who are accustomed to strict digital controls at home.

The Defense Ministry is weighing up

Responding to reports of North Korean soldiers in Russia reportedly accessing the Internet without restrictions for the first time, Defense Department spokesman Army Lt. Col. Charlie Dietz told the military agency Task & Purpose: “As entertaining as this sounds, I cannot confirm any North Korean internet habits or virtual 'extracurricular activities' in Russia,” Dietz said.

He stressed that the Pentagon's focus remains on “the more serious aspects of North Korea's involvement, if any, in Russia's military operations.”

On the issue of internet access, he said: “That is a question best addressed to Moscow.”

Dietz added: “Right now, our attention remains on supporting Ukraine and addressing the larger regional security concerns,” reflecting a commitment to broader U.S. strategic priorities in the region.

Pursuit of North Korean troops

That North Korean leader Kim Jong Un planned to send ground troops, including special forces, to fight alongside the Russian army was the subject of a South Korean intelligence report in October.

Seoul's top spy agency said it discovered Russian Pacific Fleet troop transport ships collecting thousands of North Korean soldiers at three locations on the east coast of the Korean peninsula before delivering them to nearby Vladivostok.

According to intelligence reports, military personnel were organized into brigades and prepared at three locations in the Russian Far East. These included satellite images of likely training camps in Ussuriysk, Khabarovsk and Blagoveshchensk, cities in Russia's Primorye, Khabarovsk and Amur regions.

Ukrainian military intelligence assumes, based on US estimates, that more than 10,000 North Korean soldiers will eventually join the year-long war. Earlier this month, Kiev said a group of soldiers had been transported by rail directly to Russia's western Kursk region, where Moscow forces have been repelling a surprise Ukrainian incursion since August.

Will more North Korean troops be sent to Russia?

More of Kim's military units are expected to reach the front lines of the invasion, although it was unclear whether Pyongyang would authorize combat operations across the border within Ukraine's internationally recognized territory. And experts continue to disagree about their effectiveness given the unfamiliar geographical conditions.

Russia's bicameral parliament recently ratified a mutual defense pact that Kim and President Vladimir Putin signed in June. The agreement is believed to provide legal justification for North Korea's decision to participate in the first major foreign war in its history.

However, the Russian and North Korean governments themselves have yet to confirm the move. Senior officials in Kim's regime say the allegations, if true, would be consistent with international law – and would serve to defend ally Putin.

The North Korean embassy in Beijing did not respond to multiple requests for comment on the matter.

This article contains reporting from The Associated Press