Seoul: South Korea has called on Russia to immediately withdraw North Korean soldiers currently deployed to assist in the war in Ukraine, following confirmation by South Korean intelligence of their involvement.
According to Yonhap News Agency, South Korea’s First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun summoned the Russian Ambassador to Seoul, Georgy Zinoviev, to express the country’s serious concerns over the deployment. During the meeting, Kim emphasized the threat this cooperation between North Korea and Russia poses not only to South Korea but also to global stability, highlighting the breach of several U.N. Security Council resolutions.
Kim Hong-kyun condemned the military collaboration, particularly the troop deployment, as illegal and issued a stern warning that South Korea, alongside the international community, would counter any actions that jeopardize its core interests. The South Korean government’s strong stance comes after revelations by the National Intelligence Service (NIS) that 1,500 North Kor
ean soldiers were sent to Russia’s Far East to participate in the conflict and that preparations were underway to deploy additional forces.
The NIS also provided evidence, including satellite imagery and photographs, showing Russian naval activities near North Korean ports, which are believed to be part of the efforts to transport North Korean military personnel. The agency reported that these troops are currently undergoing training in military facilities around Vladivostok and will soon be deployed to the Ukrainian war zones, outfitted with Russian military gear and weapons.
This deployment is seen as a significant shift in the North Korea-Russia alliance, which has recently been strengthened by a mutual military support treaty. The NIS suggests that North Korea’s involvement in Ukraine could also facilitate the transfer of advanced military technologies from Russia, enhancing Pyongyang’s own weapons programs-a development that has raised alarms among Western nations, including the United States. However,
the U.S. has yet to verify these reports, with officials stating they are still assessing the situation.