South Korea has summoned the Russian ambassador to demand the “immediate withdrawal” of North Korean forces it says are being trained to fight in Ukraine.
About 1,500 North Korean soldiers, including those from special forces, were has arrived in Russiaaccording to Seoul’s intelligence agency.
During a meeting with ambassador Georgiy Zinoviev, South Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun condemned the action and warned that Seoul would “respond with all available measures”.
Mr. Zinoviev said he would relay concerns but emphasized that cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang “is within the framework of international law.”
It’s unclear which cooperation he was referring to. The ambassador did not confirm the accusation that North Korea sent troops to fight the Russian army.
Pyongyang has not commented on this allegation.
South Korea has long accused North Korea of supplying weapons to Russia for use in its war against Ukraine, but the country said the current situation went beyond the transfer of military materials.
Some South Korean media reported that up to 12,000 North Korean soldiers were expected to be deployed.
“[This] not only seriously threatens South Korea but also the international community,” Mr. Kim said on Monday.
Moscow and Pyongyang have stepped up cooperation after leaders Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un signed a security pact in June, pledging that the two countries would come to each other’s aid in the event of “aggression” against one of the two countries.
Last week, Putin introduced a bill to ratify the treaty.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Monday that Pyongyang’s deployment of troops to fight Russia “would mark a significant escalation” in the conflict.
In a phone call with Rutte on Monday, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol called on the alliance to explore “specific countermeasures,” adding that he would take steps to strengthen security cooperation. security between South Korea, Ukraine and NATO.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who is visiting Seoul, called Russia’s actions “reckless and illegal,” according to Yoon’s office, adding that London would cooperate with Seoul in response.
The United States and Japan also condemned the deepening military relationship between North Korea and Russia.
Meanwhile, responding to the BBC’s question about accusations of North Korea-Russia cooperation, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said that China hopes all parties will make efforts to de-escalate the situation and redirect the situation. to a political solution to the Ukraine crisis.
Some defense experts told BBC Korean that North Korea’s involvement could further complicate the war.
“North Korea’s involvement could open the door for greater international involvement in the conflict, potentially drawing in more countries,” said Moon Seong-mok from the Korea Institute for National Strategy. ”.
“The international community is likely to increase sanctions and pressure on both Russia and North Korea, but it remains to be seen whether North Korea’s involvement will actually benefit Russia,” Dr. Moon said. both countries or not”.
But others believe that Russian military units will have difficulty getting North Korean troops into their front lines.
They said that, in addition to the language barrier, the North Korean military has no recent combat experience.
Valeriy Ryabykh, editor of the Ukrainian publication Defense Express, said North Korean soldiers could be asked to defend Russian-Ukrainian border areas, which would free up Russian units to fight elsewhere. other.
“I rule out the possibility that these units will immediately appear on the front lines,” he said.
Additional reporting by Sangmi Han, Jake Kwon and Hosu Lee in Seoul
