North Korean

Construction of the bridge began on the same day South Korean lawmakers said more than 600 North Korean troops had been killed fighting for Russia in its war against Ukraine, citing their intelligence officials.

Reports that North Korean soldiers had been deployed emerged in October, following the deepening of bilateral ties between Kim and Putin.

He praised what he described as the "heroism" of North Korean troops who had "provided significant assistance in defeating the group of Ukrainian armed forces".

The allegations about Chinese soldiers fighting for Russia follows Ukraine's capture of two injured North Korean soldiers in Russia's Kursk Oblast.

He claimed that the country and his political opposition had been infiltrated by North Korean and Chinese spies, and that these "anti-state forces" had rigged past elections.