South Korea is considering sending a team of personnel to Ukraine to monitor North Korean troops that Russia may involve in its full-scale war, Yonhap agency reported on Oct. 22, citing an unnamed government source.
"There is a possibility that personnel will be sent to Ukraine to monitor the tactics and combat capabilities of North Korean special forces dispatched in support of Russia," the source said.
Moscow is planning to involve Pyongyang in the full-scale war against Ukraine in the coming months, with around 10,000 North Korean soldiers being prepared to join the Russian army, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Ukraine's military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov said that the first group of 2,600 soldiers will be deployed to Russia's Kursk Oblast, where Ukraine began a cross-border incursion in August and still holds significant swathes of territory.
He said that close to 11,000 North Korean troops are in Russia and will be "ready to fight" in Ukraine by Nov. 1.
If deployed, a South Korean team may include military personnel from intelligence units who will be able to analyze Pyongyang's warfare tactics or participate in the interrogations of captured North Koreans.
The government is also reportedly considering providing Ukraine with armed support. Up until now, Seoul has only provided humanitarian aid to Kyiv, though it has been reported the country has indirectly supplied artillery shells via the U.S.
In June, South Korea said it would reconsider its policy of not directly supplying Ukraine with weapons after Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un signed a security agreement in Pyongyang.
"While watching signs of North Korea-Russia military cooperation, the response measures will be taken in steps," the source told Yonhap.
The source said that sending defensive weapons will be prioritized over lethal arms, adding that even if lethal weapons are provided, South Korea will first consider providing them to Kyiv indirectly.
While the U.S. has been cautious about confirming Russia's plans to engage Pyongyang in its war, South Korea is sounding the alarm, calling such a scenario a "grave security threat" to the international community.
South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) said it believes North Korea will deploy four brigades totaling 12,000 soldiers to the war in Ukraine, including 1,500 special forces.
Chris York
(Updated: )
