This photo, carried by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency on June 19, 2024, shows the North’s leader Kim Jong-un (R) greeting Russian President Vladimir Putin, who arrived in Pyongyang for a state visit. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Oct. 17 (Korea Bizwire) – The South Korean Ministry of National Defense and the White House have voiced concerns over reports suggesting North Korea has sent troops to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, marking a potential escalation in military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow.
On October 16, South Korea’s Defense Ministry stated they were “closely tracking the possibility of personnel or civilian workforce support” from North Korea to Russia. This statement comes in the wake of Ukrainian media reports claiming that North Korean soldiers had been captured after deserting near the Ukraine-Russia border.
A South Korean Foreign Ministry official emphasized the government’s serious concern about the reported expansion of Russia-North Korea military cooperation beyond weapons trade to include weapon production and troop deployment.
“Any cooperation that directly or indirectly aids North Korea’s military enhancement violates U.N. Security Council resolutions and is subject to international monitoring and sanctions,” the official said, urging an immediate halt to illegal military cooperation between the two nations.
Ukrainian media outlets have reported that Russia has formed a battalion-sized unit of about 3,000 North Korean troops. One Ukrainian news source claimed that six North Korean soldiers were among approximately 20 casualties on the Russian side following a Ukrainian missile attack on the Donetsk front on October 3.
The White House also expressed concern over these reports. John Kirby, National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications, stated in a briefing on October 15, “While we cannot independently confirm these reports, if true, they would indicate a significant strengthening of the Russia-North Korea defense relationship.”
Kirby noted that the U.S. has observed this relationship “growing and deepening” over recent months.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
