Seoul, Jun 17 (AP) North Korea will send thousands of military construction workers and deminers to support reconstruction work in Russia's Kursk region, Russian media reported, another sign of expanding military partnership between the two nations.

Russian state news agency RIA Novosti cited top Russian security official Sergei Shoigu as saying that North Korea will dispatch 1,000 deminers as well 5,000 military construction workers to the Kursk region.

Also Read | Basmati Rice To Get Cheaper in India? Basmati Rice Prices May Fall As India-Iran Trade Disrupted by Conflict, Say Experts.

RIA Novosti said Shoigu made the comments during a visit to Pyongyang for a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

North Korea has already sent thousands of troops and conventional weapons to support Russia's war against Ukraine. Washington and Seoul have expressed concern that, in return, Kim may seek Russian technology transfers that could enhance the threat posed by his nuclear-armed military.

Also Read | China Blast: 9 Killed, 26 Injured in Explosion at Fireworks Plant in Linli County in Hunan Province; Video Shows Thick Plume of Smoke Rising From Factory Site.

During a visit to Pyongyang earlier this month, Shoigu and Kim Jong Un had discussed rebuilding the Kursk region, according to Russian state media.

Russia's Tass news agency earlier reported Shoigu arrived in the North Korean capital on Tuesday on an unspecified “special” mission from Putin and was expected to meet with Kim. North Korean state media didn't immediately confirm the visit.

In April, Pyongyang and Moscow officially confirmed the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia for the first time, saying that soldiers of the two countries were fighting alongside each other to repel a Ukrainian incursion into Russia's Kursk border region. Putin thanked North Korea at that time for its participation in the war and promised not to forget their sacrifices. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)