Ukraine and South Korea exchange intelligence on North Korean troop movements
29 October 2024 14:08
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke on the phone with President of the Republic of Korea Yun Seok-yeol, Komersant ukrainskyi
reports.
The subject of the conversation was the participation of the North Korean military in Russia’s war against Ukraine.
“There is only one conclusion – this war is internationalizing and going beyond the borders of two states,” the Ukrainian president emphasized.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that he had provided his interlocutor with the latest information on the deployment of 3,000 North Korean troops to Russian training grounds in close proximity to the combat zone and the expected increase in their number to about 12,000.
“We agreed to strengthen the exchange of intelligence and expertise, intensify contacts at all levels, including the highest, to develop a strategy of action and a list of countermeasures in response to the escalation, as well as to engage joint partners in cooperation,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
He also said that as part of this agreement, Ukraine and the Republic of Korea would soon exchange delegations to coordinate actions.
According to Yonhap, a South Korean delegation will visit Ukraine this week to discuss the situation with the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia and cooperation measures.
Moreover, according to the same Yonhap newspaper and AFP, some North Korean generals and soldiers sent to Russia to participate in the war against Ukraine could have already moved directly to the war zone. The outlets cite lawmakers who attended a briefing by South Korean intelligence.
Earlier, Ukrainian intelligence had stated this possibility. According to the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, the first units trained in eastern Russia have already arrived in the Kursk region. This was confirmed by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte the day before.
One of the tasks formulated by the President of Ukraine during his conversation with his South Korean counterpart is to develop a strategy for responding to the escalation, as well as to engage joint partners in cooperation. First and foremost, of course, we are talking about the United States.
The reaction of the United States of America
The day before, US President Joe Biden, responding to journalists’ requests to comment on the deployment of DPRK soldiers in Russia, limited himself to saying: “It’s very dangerous, very dangerous.”
The Pentagon was more verbose, promising not to impose restrictions on Ukraine’s use of American weapons if North Korean soldiers join the war on Russia’s side. This was stated by US Defense Department spokesperson Sabrina Singh.
But the Congress wants more from the Pentagon. There have even been calls to consider “direct military action” if DPRK soldiers enter the war against Ukraine.
