North Korea has reportedly deployed 10,000 soldiers to train in Russia, with expectations that these troops could bolster Russian forces near Ukraine within the coming weeks.
This action, described by Seoul on Tuesday as a “significant security threat,” marks a growing military alliance between North Korea and Russia that has increasingly alarmed global powers.
Seoul has long suspected Pyongyang of supplying weapons to aid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but the situation intensified after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin formalized a mutual defense agreement in June.
Under this agreement, North Korea is now alleged to be sending military personnel in large numbers to Russia.
Although North Korea has denied the presence of its troops in the region, last week saw a rare statement from a vice foreign minister in Pyongyang’s state media, asserting that if such a deployment were to occur, it would comply with international law.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently expressed concerns, predicting that North Korea could “soon” have as many as 12,000 soldiers stationed on Russian soil. U.S.
President Joe Biden echoed this sentiment, describing the deployment as “very dangerous.”
“North Korea has sent around 10,000 soldiers in total to train in eastern Russia that will probably augment Russian forces near Ukraine over the next several weeks,” Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh informed reporters.
NATO chief Mark Rutte labeled this move as a “dangerous expansion of Russia’s war” and interpreted it as “a sign of Putin’s growing desperation.” Rutte highlighted the staggering toll on Russian forces, noting that over 600,000 Russian troops have been killed or wounded since the war began in 2022.
This reliance on foreign support, he suggested, underscores Russia’s struggle to sustain its invasion.
Following a briefing in Brussels with South Korean intelligence officials, Rutte confirmed that North Korean military units were operating in Russia’s Kursk region, situated close to the western front.
In a similar vein, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol addressed the escalating military collaboration between Russia and North Korea, warning that it represented “a significant security threat to the international community” and signaling that Seoul might implement “countermeasures.”
Seoul’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) has revealed that high-ranking North Korean generals might also be positioned near conflict zones.
The NIS further cautioned that North Korea, with potential Russian technical assistance, is planning another satellite launch following its failed attempt in May.
“Using advanced components and Russian technological assistance,” the agency disclosed to lawmakers, as relayed by lawmaker Lee Seong-kweun from a briefing transcript obtained by AFP.
According to experts, North Korea’s motivations for providing troops likely include securing access to military technology such as advanced surveillance satellites, submarines, and even possible security assurances from Moscow.
Within North Korea, authorities are reportedly controlling the domestic narrative tightly, misleading the families of deployed soldiers by claiming they are participating in standard training exercises rather than being stationed in Russia.
Amid these developments, North Korea’s foreign minister traveled to Moscow this week, according to the Korean Central News Agency, although further details were not disclosed.
With tensions mounting, South Korea, known for its robust arms industry, has previously considered a policy shift on supplying weapons directly to Ukraine—a decision heavily urged by its Western allies.
Although Seoul has refrained from such direct aid due to longstanding policies, it has sold billions of dollars’ worth of military equipment, including tanks, howitzers, and attack aircraft, to Poland, a staunch supporter of Ukraine.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen recently warned that North Korea’s military involvement could mark “a significant escalation of the war against Ukraine and threatens global peace.” In a phone conversation with President Yoon, von der Leyen assured South Korea that “the EU’s response to this development will center on cooperation with the Republic of Korea and other like-minded partners.”
In Washington, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller called on China—an ally to both Moscow and Pyongyang—to reflect on this “destabilizing action by two of its neighbors, Russia and North Korea,” stressing the implications for regional stability.
