Kim Seon-ho corroborates Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s claims about North Korea’s aid to Russia in relation to its war efforts in Ukrainian territory. However, he believes support is based on sending civilians and not military personnel.
Zelensky argued this week Pyongyang will be ready to send around ten thousand troops to reinforce Russian forces on the front line against the Ukrainian army.
If North Korean demobilization is confirmed, it would mark a significant new phase in relations with Moscow. A meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in June saw the two countries strengthen ties by announcing a new bilateral agreement.
The agreement requires each side to provide military assistance to the other “without delay” in the event of an armed attack. This “confidential” agreement is interpreted as a strategic mutual defense agreement.
“Despair at the Edge of the Abyss”
On Thursday, Kim Seon-ho, who was in Brussels to attend a meeting of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) defense ministers, commented on the alleged North Korean aid to Russia.
“We say this is significant because it is possible that North Korea provided personnel rather than military forces,” Seon-ho told South Korea’s Yonhap news agency.
As more information comes in and is collected and evaluated, it will be decided whether civilians or the military were deployed,” he added.
“If the gathering is true, it demonstrates the North Korean regime’s desperate efforts to obtain security guarantees from Russia.”South Korean security highlighted power.
“If they have indeed sent their troops, it will be because the North feels the need to do so in order to stabilize the regime and get assurances from Russia for this purpose,” Seon-ho said, his personal opinion.
“The arms trade with Russia is also an act born of desperation on the edge of the abyss“, the South Korean vice defense minister added.
The United States and allies have yet to confirm Ukraine’s allegations of North Korean troops, but are closely monitoring the situation. US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said there were “signs of enhanced material support” from the North to Russia and that “it is already being felt on the battlefield”, but Washington was “still evaluating the reports”.
Thousands of young people have joined the North Korean army KCNA via Reuters
however, Thousands of young people, including students and youth league officials, signed petitions this week to join or return to the army, North Korean state media reported. It happened at an unknown location.
Quoted in Reuters, KCNA said on Wednesday that approx “1.4 million “Young people who have applied for or returned to the military,” Seoul accused of being a provocation Drones This brought “a tense situation to the brink of war”.
The state agency added that they were determined to fight a “holy war to destroy the enemy with the weapons of revolution.”
“If a war breaks out, the Republic of Korea (South) will be wiped off the map. We are ready to put an end to its existence as long as a war is desired.”The KCNA statement said.
Since the end of the Korean War (1950-53), the North’s regime has never sent military units to fight outside North Korean territory.
After denuclearization talks failed in 2019, Pyongyang strengthened military cooperation with Moscow. It has not resumed any dialogue with the US and South Korea.
According to International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) data cited in Reuters, North Korea has 1.28 million soldiers and about 600,000 security forces. The Red Guard has 5.7 million reservists and several unarmed units.