Recent reports indicate that North Korea has commenced the deployment of troops to support Russia in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, a move South Korea’s intelligence agency warns could pose a “grave security threat.” This alarming development follows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s statement that 10,000 North Korean soldiers may join the conflict based on intelligence assessments.
In response to the situation, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol convened a security meeting and emphasized the need for a coordinated response from the international community using all available means.
According to intelligence sources, approximately 1,500 North Korean troops have already arrived in Russia, with estimates suggesting the total number could approach 12,000. This increase in troop movement aligns with ongoing evidence that North Korea is supplying Russia with ammunition, including the recent recovery of a missile in Ukraine’s Poltava region.
The close ties between Moscow and Pyongyang have been strengthening, highlighted by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s recent birthday greetings to Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom he referred to as his “closest comrade.”
Key officials from South Korea’s National Security Office, the Ministry of National Defence, and the National Intelligence Service were present at the security meeting, where it was resolved to actively address the situation in collaboration with international partners.
The National Intelligence Service’s claim comes shortly after reports from Ukrainian military intelligence suggesting that Russia is forming a unit comprised of North Korean soldiers.
Earlier this week, Putin initiated a bill to ratify a military pact with North Korea, ensuring mutual assistance in the face of aggression against either nation. Reports also indicate that North Korean troops have been stationed at military bases near Ussuriysk in Russia’s Far East.
However, military analysts caution that integrating North Korean forces into existing Russian units may face challenges, particularly due to language barriers and the lack of recent combat operational experience among North Korean troops. There are suggestions that these troops may serve to secure certain sections of the Russian-Ukrainian border, allowing Russian forces to deploy elsewhere.
