North Korea’s reported deployment of more than 10,000 of its troops to Russia to back Moscow’s war effort could potentially pressure the South to supply Ukraine with lethal weapons and escalate the conflict, observers say.
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Some analysts, however, say Pyongyang’s priority is its domestic security, particularly what it views as growing threats from the “extended” nuclear deterrence provided by the United States to Seoul.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently claimed his government had intelligence indicating that 10,000 North Korean soldiers were being deployed to join Russian forces in their war against Ukraine.
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) reported that Russian navy ships transported 1,500 North Korean special operations troops to Vladivostok between October 8 and October 13.
The NIS also said more North Korean forces were expected to be sent to Russia soon.
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South Korea’s foreign ministry on Monday summoned the Russian ambassador in Seoul on Monday to protest against North Korean troops being sent to Russia for deployment in Ukraine, Reuters reported.
South Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun told Russian envoy Georgy Zinoviev that North Korean soldiers should be immediately withdrawn from Russia.