South Korea does not see any new North Korean troops in Russia, but is monitoring the situation
South Korea currently has no confirmation of a new large-scale deployment of North Korean troops in Russia. At the same time, Seoul continues to closely monitor military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang.
The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that it is analyzing the situation following remarks by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy regarding Russia’s preparations to accept an additional 30,000 military personnel from North Korea to participate in the war against Ukraine.
“The government is closely monitoring developments related to military cooperation between North Korea and Russia. The government maintains the position that military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, which violates UN Security Council resolutions, must be immediately halted,” reads a brief statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on July 27.
According to government sources, there are no confirmed signs of additional deployments of North Korean troops in Russia at this time.
It is believed that North Korea has already deployed about 20,000 military personnel and military engineers to support Russia’s military efforts against Ukraine, of whom about 14,000 are estimated to be currently serving on the front lines.
Last week, North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui visited Moscow, where she met with Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, fueling speculation about further military ties between the two sides.
This was reported by Yonhap.
South Korea has provided Ukraine with a new $100 million aid package.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Polish President Karol Nawrocki may hold their first in-person meeting in the near future. After a brief conversation, the leaders agreed to try to coordinate their schedules during the NATO summit. The parties are working to ensure that the meeting takes place in the near future.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that Ukrainian intelligence has detected the Kremlin’s preparations for a new wave of mobilization measures this fall. According to him, Russia may also be planning to bring in another 30,000 troops from North Korea for the war against Ukraine.
Russian Presidential Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to confirm or deny reports that Russia may be bringing in another 30,000 troops from North Korea to fight in the war against Ukraine.
