South Korea has called for the immediate withdrawal of North Korean troops from Russia, following allegations that North Korea has sent its soldiers to support Russia in its war against Ukraine. AP News reported that South Korea’s foreign ministry met with the Russian ambassador, Georgy Zinoviev, on Monday to protest the reported deployment, which they view as a significant security threat.
According to South Korea’s spy agency, North Korea dispatched 1,500 special operation forces to Russia’s Far East. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed intelligence reports indicated that North Korea was preparing to send an additional 10,000 soldiers to Russia. In the meeting held hours ago, South Korea’s first vice foreign minister, Kim Hong Kyun, condemned North Korea’s actions, stating they violated U.N. resolutions and posed serious threats to regional security. Kim pledged that South Korea would take all necessary measures to respond to this threat.
However, the Russian embassy responded that its cooperation with North Korea did not threaten South Korea’s security and was in line with international law. Despite this, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, in a conversation with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, emphasized that South Korea could not overlook the military cooperation between North Korea and Russia. He indicated that a South Korean delegation would soon visit NATO to discuss this issue.
One noticeable thing is that South Korea seems to be worried that Russia might supply advanced technologies to North Korea in return for military support. If that should happen, it could significantly enhance North Korea’s nuclear and missile capabilities, posing a direct threat to South Korea.
Meanwhile, the U.S. and NATO have not confirmed the presence of North Korean troops in Russia, although the reports have heightened concerns. The Kremlin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, noted the contradictory information surrounding these reports, urging a cautious approach to the claims.
North Korea has yet to comment on these allegations, while Russia has previously denied using North Korean troops in Ukraine.