North Korean leader Kim Jong-un delivers a speech during the opening ceremony of a defense exhibition in Pyongyang, Nov. 21, in this photo carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency. Yonhap

North Korea is intensifying internal control over its military and citizens in what seems to be an effort to suppress any dissent regarding the regime's troop deployment to support Russia's war against Ukraine, the Ministry of Unification said, Tuesday.

North Korea hosted the 4th Conference of Battalion Commanders and Political Instructors of the Korean People's Army (KPA) from Nov. 14 to 15. Such conferences had only been held three times previously: in October 1953 after the Korean Armistice Agreement, in October 2006 just before North Korea's first nuclear test, and in November 2014 during a period when the North's leader Kim Jong-un carried out a reign of terror.

"Hosting a rare conference for the first time in 10 years seems not only aimed at quelling any military or internal unrest regarding North Korea's troop dispatch to Russia, but also at fostering hostility toward South Korea and the outside world," a senior unification ministry official said on condition of anonymity.

"The regime is worried that public discontent could increase if there are casualties or if rumors about the troop deployments spread."

So far, North Korea has kept its troop deployment to Russia a secret from its citizens. However, it appears that rumors about the deployment have already spread within North Korea, with families of the soldiers reportedly wailing, according to the National Intelligence Service, which shared this information with lawmakers in late October.

The ministry said that North Korea appears to have sent the troops by expecting three benefits in addition to receiving economic gains and greater military-technical assistance.

"The North Korea-Russia military alliance may be solidified and the North's strategic status may be upgraded after the war ends. Pyongyang's ties with Moscow could be beneficial in reaching out to the U.S.," the official said.

A source familiar with the matter said that Russia would want to regain control of the Kursk region before U.S. President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January and potentially proposes a peace deal for the Ukraine war.

"North Korean troops are deployed to help Russia drive Ukrainian troops out from Russia's Kursk border region. We need to closely monitor what role North Korean troops play as Russia has begun a major counteroffensive against Ukrainian troops there. I believe North Korean soldiers could rotate in batches rather than the North sending additional forces," the source said.

The Gaeseong Industrial Complex, a joint industrial park in the North's border city of Gaeseong, is seen in this Oct. 5, 2022 file photo. Yonhap

Meanwhile, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has been solidifying his leadership while downplaying the roles of his predecessors, Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il. The appearance of Kim Jong-un badges and new portraits alongside those of past leaders reflects an intensified effort to emphasize his authority.

The official said Kim Jong-un may ask North Koreans to take loyalty oaths on Jan. 8, which is believed to be his birthday, as part of steps to solidify his rule. North Korea has never officially confirmed Kim's birthdate, and such oath ceremonies have traditionally been held on Jan. 1 New Year's day or the anniversaries of the birthdays of his father on Feb. 16, and grandfather on April 15.

"This year, Kim Jong-un hosted a loyalty oath ceremony on Jan. 8 instead of Jan. 1. This is seen as a move to shift toward political assertiveness, departing from his predecessors' approach," the official said.

The ministry also said North Korea cutting power lines supplying electricity to the shuttered Gaeseong industrial complex is part of a move to remove all traces of unification after Kim Jong-un defined the South as a "hostile" state last December.

"The military has detected North Korean soldiers removing part of the power lines connecting transmission towers near the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) on Sunday in what appeared to be preparations to demolish the transmission towers built by the South. We will respond resolutely to North Korea's illegal violation of property rights," another senior unification ministry official said.

This year, North Korea has been carrying out unusual activities, including demolishing street lamps, installing mines along its side of the Gyeongui and Donghae roads, as well as deploying troops to build anti-tank barriers and reinforce barbed wire fences within its side of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas.