Seoul: North Korea has not made any public statements regarding its significant deployment of troops to Russia, which is seen as a move to support Moscow’s ongoing military actions in Ukraine. This operation marks the first large-scale deployment of North Korean ground forces abroad, with about 12,000 special forces involved, and 1,500 already stationed in Russia’s Far East.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the South Korean National Intelligence Service disclosed this information on Friday, highlighting a notable escalation in military cooperation between North Korea and Russia. The deployment, which has not been officially acknowledged by Pyongyang, comes amid ongoing tensions and complex international relations surrounding the Ukraine conflict. North Korea’s last public comment on the conflict was on October 12, via a state newspaper article that quoted a Russian military commander.
Observers suggest that North Korea’s silence on the troop deployment could be due to the potential domestic repercussions of
sending soldiers to an active war zone, which might cause public anxiety. “It is unlikely that North Korea will confirm this before Russia does,” stated Hong Min, a senior research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification. He added that confirmation from the United States or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization on the deployment has yet to occur, leaving open the question of North Korean troops’ engagement in combat.
The South Korean government, through its unification ministry spokesperson Koo Byoung-sam, expressed that it is “keeping all possibilities open and carefully observing the situation.” Meanwhile, the defense ministry has condemned North Korea’s involvement, citing it as a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions. “We sternly denounce North Korea’s behavior and strongly warn (the North) to immediately halt it,” said Jeon Ha-kyou, spokesperson for the ministry, who also mentioned that South Korea might consider providing lethal weapons to Ukraine as part of its response strate
gy.
Adding to the geopolitical complexity, South Korea’s Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun discussed his “serious concern” over the deepening military ties between Pyongyang and Moscow with U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Philip Goldberg. Concurrently, South Korea’s military has been actively broadcasting anti-North Korean propaganda, including reports of North Korean casualties in Ukraine, across the border via loudspeakers, a measure that began in July in retaliation to North Korea’s propaganda efforts.