Seoul: Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun stated on Wednesday that sending a South Korean observer team to Ukraine is an “obvious” task for the military, emphasizing the educational benefits such a mission would bring.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim remarked that failing to send a team would be seen as a “dereliction of duty.” He highlighted that historically, South Korea has dispatched monitoring and analysis teams to conflict regions, such as during the Iraq war, to study warfare trends and strategies. During a press briefing after his meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon, Kim explained the value of these teams in understanding modern warfare, particularly noting the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia as a learning opportunity for South Korean analysts.

Kim also addressed concerns regarding North Korea’s recent actions, including the launch of trash balloons into South Korean territory, which he described as nearing a breach of the armistice agreement from the Korean
War. He indicated that South Korea is preparing responses to these provocations through various strategies.

In addition, Kim speculated on potential exchanges between North Korea and Russia, suggesting that North Korea might seek advanced military technology in return for troop deployment. He expressed concerns that North Korea could request technologies to enhance tactical nuclear arms, intercontinental ballistic missiles, reconnaissance satellites, and nuclear-powered submarines, urging Pyongyang to withdraw its forces immediately.