North Korean troops deployed to Russia may be headed to the front lines, South Korean officials said on Oct. 29 after a briefing by Seoul’s intelligence agency.
Speaking at a press briefing, lawmaker Lee Seong-kweun did not say when they would likely arrive on the battlefield and said Pyongyong and Moscow’s troops were being hindered by a language barrier.
“The Russian military was teaching the North Korean military some 100 Russian military terms such as ‘back to your position,’ ‘fire’ and ‘launch’… but the North Korean military was struggling (to understand),” he said in comments reported by Reuters.
The assessment comes shortly after NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed on Oct. 28 that North Korea had sent troops to Russia following a meeting with South Korean defense and intelligence officials.
North Korea and Russia have strengthened ties since the full-scale war began, including signing a new mutual defense pact. Ukraine and Western governments have previously accused North Korea of providing weapons to Russia—allegations both Pyongyang and Moscow have denied.
The growing North Korean support for Russia’s war, namely the dispatch of troops, sparked discussions in South Korea on revising internal legislation to allow military supplies to Ukraine.
A South Korean delegation will visit Ukraine in the second part of the week to share information on North Korea’s troops in Russia and discuss cooperation, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said on Oct. 28, the Yonhap news agency reported.
“It is a grave situation where the actual deployment of North Korean troops to the front lines in Ukraine could happen sooner than expected,” Yoon said.
President Volodymyr Zelensky warned earlier this month that Russia intends to deploy North Korean troops to the battlefield in the coming days.
Ukrainian military intelligence reported on Oct. 24 that approximately 12,000 North Korean troops, including 500 officers and three generals, were already in Russia and undergoing training at five military bases.
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