Seoul: North Korea has not publicly acknowledged its reported deployment of approximately 12,000 special forces to assist Russia in its ongoing conflict with Ukraine, maintaining silence over the move that indicates a deepening military collaboration between North Korea and Russia.
According to Yonhap News Agency, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service revealed that of the 12,000 troops, about 1,500 have already been stationed in Russia’s Far East. This deployment marks the first large-scale dispatch of North Korean ground forces abroad, although the regime has previously sent smaller groups of soldiers overseas to generate income.
Despite the significant scale of the troop deployment, North Korea has yet to issue an official statement or comment on the matter. The last related report from North Korea came on October 12, when Rodong Sinmun, the state’s primary newspaper, cited a Russian military commander’s claim of chemical weapons use by Ukraine.
Russia also has not commented on the deployment follo
wing the announcement by South Korea’s intelligence agency. Observers suggest that North Korea may be reluctant to confirm the troop movement due to the potential domestic backlash and the evidential nature of the deployment.
“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. Hong also noted that without confirmation from major international players like the United States or NATO, the actual involvement of North Korean forces in combat remains uncertain.
The South Korean government is closely monitoring the situation. “We are keeping all possibilities open and are carefully observing the situation,” said Koo Byoung-sam, a spokesperson for the unification ministry. Meanwhile, South Korea’s defense ministry has strongly condemned North Korea’s involvement, describing it as a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions and an act deserving international censure.
“North Korea taking part in Russia
‘s war of invasion is an illegal act that should be criticized by the international community,” said Jeon Ha-kyou, a spokesperson for the ministry. Jeon added that South Korea is considering “necessary measures” in response, which could potentially include providing lethal aid to Ukraine, although specific decisions have yet to be determined.