South Korea has summoned the Russian ambassador in Seoul to express strong protests regarding the reported deployment of thousands of North Korean troops to support Russia in its conflict with Ukraine.
Kim Hong-kyun, South Korea’s first vice foreign minister, communicated to Russian envoy Georgy Zinoviev that such involvement of North Korean forces breaches United Nations resolutions and called for their immediate withdrawal. South Korea’s foreign ministry emphasized the country’s condemnation of North Korea’s military collaboration with Russia as a serious threat to regional security. Kim stated, “We will respond jointly with the international community by mobilizing all available means against acts that threaten our core security interests.”
The action to summon early Ambassador Zinoviev reflects growing frustration among South Korea, Ukraine, and the United States, regarding the apparent deployment of North Korean troops as part of a covert military agreement established this year between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
Last week, South Korea’s national intelligence service reported that North Korea had dispatched around 1,500 special forces to Russia’s far east for training at military bases, with plans for them to be actively involved in the Ukrainian war. The agency also stated that North Korea could send approximately 12,000 special forces to support Russia, potentially addressing the significant losses in Russian troops.
The intelligence service released satellite imagery showing the movement of elite North Korean soldiers transported by Russian military vessels to Vladivostok between October 8 and 13, marking the initiation of North Korea’s military participation in the conflict.
While the White House could not confirm the reports of North Korean troops fighting for Russia, a spokesperson for the National Security Council remarked that should these reports be accurate, it would represent a troubling escalation in the conflict.
Ukrainian officials have shared a video that they claim shows North Korean recruits receiving Russian military uniforms. The footage, published by a Ukrainian government agency, purportedly depicts soldiers awaiting military attire distributed by Russian service members.
Ihor Solovey, head of the Centre for Strategic Communication and Information Security, indicated that the video had been sourced internally and emphasized its significance as the first visual proof of North Korea’s involvement alongside Russia in the war.
In response to inquiries about the North Korean troops, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov cited “a lot of contradictory information” coming from various sources, highlighting the discrepancies between claims made by South Korea and the Pentagon’s lack of confirmation.
Details of the military agreement between Putin and Kim, established during the Russian leader’s visit to Pyongyang in June, remain undisclosed. Both nations have denied allegations of North Korea supplying munitions to Russia, although these denials have been contradicted by reports from Ukrainian, South Korean, and US officials. Recent intelligence from South Korea suggested that North Korea had delivered over 13,000 containers of armaments to Russia since August.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that North Korean participation in the war would escalate the threat level and increase instability in the region. In a recent address, Zelenskyy called for a decisive response from Ukraine’s allies, reiterating the need for acknowledgment of international cooperation in the broader conflict.
North Korea has not provided any comments regarding the allegations of sending troops to assist Russia in the war.