US State Department: ”North Korean forces 'fighting' alongside Russian forces at Kursk”... ”Participation confirmed”

North Korean troops deployed to Kursk, Russia, have begun fighting against the Ukrainian army. A spokesman for the U.S. State Department said at a press conference on the 12th (local time) that "more than 10,000 North Korean troops are in the area."
"It has been confirmed that many of them have been transferred to Kursk in Russia and have begun participating in combat operations with the Russian military," the spokesman said.
"Whether Russia can succeed on the battlefield by deploying such North Korean forces will depend mainly on how well Russia can incorporate the North Korean forces into its own military," he continued.
"It all depends on how well the two countries integrate," he said. "U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will be in Europe to attend NATO and EU meetings.
On the other hand, CNN quoted US and Ukrainian sources on the 10th as saying, "Russia is heading to the Ukrainian military.
"The North has called together about 50,000 troops, including North Korean troops, to retake the Kursk region, which is currently under partial control of the North Korean government," the report said.