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North Korea reacts to the use of troops in the Russia-Ukraine war


North Korea reacts to the use of troops in the Russia-Ukraine war

North Korea on Monday denied allegations that it had sent troops to Russia to support the war against Ukraine, calling the claims baseless.

“As for the so-called military cooperation with Russia, my delegation sees no need to comment on such unfounded, stereotypical rumors aimed at tarnishing the image of the DPRK and undermining legitimate, friendly and cooperative relations between sovereign states.” a North Korean official said during a United Nations General Assembly committee meeting, using the country's official name: Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

He was responding to reports from South Korean intelligence that Pyongyang planned to deploy around 12,000 soldiers to support Russian forces in Ukraine. Citing satellite images, Seoul said around 1,500 North Korean special forces had already been transported to the Russian Far East.

Newsweek contacted the North Korean embassy in China with a written request for comment.

North Korean soldiers wave flags
This photo taken on Oct. 18, 2023 shows North Korean soldiers waving their national flags as they greet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov after he landed at the airport in Pyongyang. North Korea has denied…


Kim Won Jin/AFP via Getty Images

The United States reacted cautiously, with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin telling reporters during the G7 defense ministers' meeting in Naples, Italy, on Saturday: “I can't confirm these reports, but if that's the case, it's serious,” he added that Russian President Vladimir Putin is “in trouble” and said more than 350,000 Russian soldiers were estimated to have been killed in the 31 months since Moscow's full-scale invasion began.

South Korea has spoken out strongly against the alleged deployment of troops.

First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong Kyun summoned Georgy Zinoviev, the Russian ambassador to South Korea, to express Seoul's “serious stance” on the matter. Kim condemned military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow and warned that Seoul would respond with “all available means” in coordination with the global community.

Zinoviev stressed at the meeting that cooperation with Pyongyang was “within the framework of international law” and “does not run counter to the security interests of the Republic of Korea,” the embassy said in a statement on Telegram, using South Korea's official name.

On the same day, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol discussed the matter in a phone call with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. Yoon said he would send a delegation to share information and expand defense cooperation with Ukraine and NATO.

The 32-member alliance has recently stepped up cooperation with South Korea as well as Japan and other Asia-Pacific countries, prompting protests from China.

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The reported deployment of North Korean troops in Russia has raised concerns about the broader implications for regional security.

Patrick Cronin, chair of Asia-Pacific security at the Hudson Institute, said Newsweek On Monday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said that by sending troops he likely hoped to secure advanced Russian defense technology and personal assurances of military support from the Kremlin in the event of a future conflict.

The strengthened ties between Moscow and Pyongyang have been evident in recent months. Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to North Korea in June – his first in more than two decades – culminated in a military aid deal that raised concerns in Washington, Seoul and Tokyo.

South Korea has accused North Korea for months of shipping thousands of containers filled with weapons to Russia to replenish the country's stockpile. This claim is supported by satellite images showing Russian ships loading cargo in North Korean ports.

A recent discussion between Chinese mercenaries who fought alongside the Russians suggests that some North Koreans may have already died in the conflict.

In a video shared on X, formerly Twitter, a comrade still at the front claimed that eight North Koreans died on the first day of fighting.

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