South Korea urgently called for the immediate withdrawal of North Korean troops allegedly stationed in Russia. The demand came after concerns over deepening military ties between Pyongyang and Moscow.
The South Korean government expressed alarm about the potential implications of this partnership, particularly regarding the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) revealed on Friday that North Korea had sent 1,500 special operations forces to Russia earlier in October. These troops are believed to be supporting Russia in its war against Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had previously stated that Ukraine’s intelligence services had gathered information suggesting that up to 10,000 North Korean soldiers were being prepared to assist Russian forces in the invasion.
In response, South Korea summoned the Russian ambassador, Georgy Zinoviev, to formally protest North Korea’s involvement. South Korea’s Vice Foreign Minister, Kim Hong Kyun, expressed his country’s strong disapproval, condemning the troop deployment as a “grave security threat” not only to South Korea but to the international community as a whole.
Kim made it clear that South Korea would work closely with its global allies to take action against what it views as a serious breach of national security. He emphasized that all available means would be mobilized to counter this threat. According to a statement released by the South Korean Foreign Ministry, Kim urged Russia to withdraw North Korean forces immediately.
In response, Zinoviev stated that he would pass South Korea’s concerns on to the Russian government. The Russian Embassy later quoted him as saying that the cooperation between Russia and North Korea was conducted within the boundaries of international law and did not threaten South Korea’s security interests.
Although the US and NATO have yet to confirm the presence of North Korean troops in Russia, these reports have raised significant concerns in South Korea. One of the main fears is that Russia might provide North Korea with advanced military technologies, such as nuclear or missile technology, in exchange for troop support. This could significantly bolster North Korea’s military capabilities, especially its nuclear arsenal, which already poses a major threat to the region.
North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un, has recently escalated tensions with South Korea, declaring the end of all relations and threatening to use nuclear weapons preemptively if provoked. This aggressive stance, combined with the reports of troop deployment, has put South Korea on high alert. Some analysts believe that if it is confirmed that Russia is supplying high-tech military equipment to North Korea, South Korea might reconsider its policy of not sending weapons to Ukraine.
While South Korea has joined Western sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, it has refrained from directly providing weapons to Kyiv. This is in line with a long-standing policy of not supplying arms to countries engaged in active conflict. However, if the military cooperation between North Korea and Russia continues to escalate, this stance could change.
Russia has previously denied using North Korean soldiers in its war efforts, and North Korean state media have remained silent on the issue. If confirmed, this would mark North Korea’s first active involvement in a major war since the end of the Korean War in 1953.
Experts remain skeptical about the effectiveness of North Korean troops on the battlefield, noting their lack of recent combat experience. However, the growing military partnership between Russia and North Korea remains a cause for concern for South Korea and its allies.
Over the past two years, cooperation between the two nations has increased, with North Korea allegedly supplying conventional weapons to Russia in exchange for economic and military support. In June, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a military pact promising mutual assistance in the event of an attack on either country.
As the situation continues to unfold, South Korea and its international partners will be closely monitoring developments. The potential for this partnership to escalate further threatens to destabilize an already tense region.
