South Korean delegation to visit Ukraine to share information on North Korean troops
A South Korean delegation will visit Ukraine in the second part of the week to share information on North Korea's troops in Russia and discuss cooperation, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said on Oct. 28, the Yonhap news agency reported.
Yoon's comments come shortly after NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed on Oct. 28 that North Korea had sent troops to Russia following a meeting with South Korean defense and intelligence officials.
"I hope that under Secretary General Rutte's leadership, NATO will redouble efforts to monitor and block illegal exchanges between Russia and North Korea in solidarity and coordination," Yoon said.
North Korea and Russia have strengthened ties since the full-scale war began, including signing a new mutual defense pact. Ukraine and Western governments have previously accused North Korea of providing weapons to Russia—allegations both Pyongyang and Moscow have denied.
The growing North Korean support for Russia's war, namely the dispatch of troops, sparked discussions in South Korea on revising internal legislation to allow military supplies to Ukraine.
Yoon added that the South Korean delegation will brief the EU Political and Security Committee on Oct. 29, after which they will travel to Ukraine to meet with intelligence and defense officials to exchange battlefield information and explore cooperation measures.
"It is a grave situation where the actual deployment of North Korean troops to the front lines in Ukraine could happen sooner than expected," Yoon commented.
President Volodymyr Zelensky warned earlier this month that Russia intends to deploy North Korean troops to the battlefield in the coming days. Ukrainian military intelligence reported on Oct. 24 that approximately 12,000 North Korean troops, including 500 officers and three generals, were already in Russia and undergoing training at five military bases.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
