Ukrainian special forces have released several excerpts from a purported diary it said was found on a North Korean soldier killed in front-line fighting in Russia.

Here’s what else you need to know to Start Your Week Smart. The weekend that was • A plane crash-landed on a runway in South Korea before skidding off and bursting into flames

South Korea's military has said that North Korea is preparing to continue aiding Russia in its war with Ukraine, despite casualties.

South Korea was the 11th-largest defense spender in the world last year, a report showed Monday, as the country seeks to strengthen its defense capabilities against North Korean military threats.

Despite their elite status, North Korea's "Storm" troops were ill-prepared for the war, South Korea's National Intelligence Service said.

"Through various sources of information and intelligence, we assess that North Korean troops who have recently engaged in combat with Ukrainian forces have suffered around 1,100 casualties," the JCS said in a statement.

South Korea imposed sanctions on 11 individuals and 15 entities "engaged in illegal military cooperation between Russia and North Korea," the South Korean Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Dec.

The announcement followed reports from Ukrainian media outlet Militarnyi, which claimed the soldier was captured by Ukrainian special forces during operations in Russia’s Kursk region.

During a five-day plenary meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party, Kim called the U.S. “the most reactionary state that regards anti-communism as its invariable state policy.”

North Korea and Russia have strengthened their military ... including the deployment of troops. South Korea and Ukraine announced last month that they would deepen security cooperation in response ...

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held a key policy-setting meeting of the country's ruling party last week ahead of the new year, state media KCNA reported on Sunday.