Amidst growing international concerns, North Korea has vehemently denied reports that it has sent troops to Russia to help Moscow fight Ukraine. This denial comes in direct response to claims made by South Korea’s spy agency, which asserted on Friday that Pyongyang had deployed a “large-scale” contingent of troops to support its ally. According to the agency, approximately 1,500 North Korean special forces are currently undergoing training in Russia’s Far East and are poised to be deployed to the frontlines of the Ukraine war.
However, at a United Nations General Assembly committee meeting on Monday, a North Korean representative dismissed these claims as “groundless rumors.” The representative asserted that the allegations were “aimed at smearing the image of the DPRK and undermining the legitimate, friendly and cooperative relations between two sovereign states.”
Pyongyang and Moscow have maintained a strong alliance since the founding of North Korea after World War II. Their relationship has further strengthened in the wake of Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. While Seoul and Washington have long suspected that Kim Jong Un has been supplying weapons to Russia for use in the conflict, North Korean state media has remained silent on the purported troop deployment.
Russia, while not confirming the troop deployment, has defended its military cooperation with North Korea. After Seoul summoned Moscow’s ambassador in South Korea to express its concerns, the envoy emphasized that “cooperation between Russia and North Korea… is not directed against the interests of South Korea’s security.”
Despite the denial from North Korea, the international community has expressed significant concern about the potential implications of such a deployment. Robert Wood, US ambassador to the United Nations, stated to the Security Council, “We have seen reports the DPRK has sent forces and is preparing to send additional soldiers to Ukraine to fight alongside Russia. If true, this marks a dangerous and highly concerning development and an obvious deepening of the DPRK-Russia military relationship.”
The United States and its allies have already expressed concern about North Korea providing weapons to Russia, which invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
South Korea’s response has been swift and decisive. On Tuesday, the South Korean government issued a strong condemnation of North Korea’s actions, urging the immediate withdrawal of North Korean troops. The National Security Council declared that “North Korea, which has been providing large-scale military weapons to Russia, sending troops to Russia’s illegal war of aggression in Ukraine is a significant security threat not only to our country but also to the international community.”
In a further demonstration of its resolve, the South Korean government announced that it will implement phased countermeasures in response to the deepening military cooperation between Russia and North Korea. South Korea is also considering sending a team of personnel to Ukraine to monitor the situation and analyze North Korean battlefield strategies. This team would likely comprise military personnel from intelligence divisions who would also be responsible for interrogating any captured prisoners of war.
Meanwhile, a pro-Russia Telegram account has added fuel to the fire, posting a photo showing the Russian and North Korean flags side by side on a Ukrainian battlefield. While this single image cannot be taken as definitive proof of North Korean troop presence, it serves as a stark reminder of the potential for escalation in the conflict and the complex geopolitical dynamics at play.