Seoul demands withdrawal of North Korean troops in Russia

Seoul: South Korea summoned the Russian ambassador on Monday to condemn North Korea’s decision to send thousands of soldiers to support Moscow's war in Ukraine, urging their immediate withdrawal. Approximately 1,500 North Korean special forces soldiers are currently in Russia acclimatizing and are expected to head to the front lines soon, according to South Korea's spy agency. This deployment marks North Korea's first military action overseas in support of another country.

South Korea has expressed long-standing concerns that the nuclear-armed North is supplying Russia with weapons for use in the Ukraine conflict. The troop deployment follows a military agreement signed by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin in June. During the meeting with Russian ambassador Georgiy Zinoviev, South Korea’s Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun articulated the nation’s “grave concerns” about the North Korean troop presence and emphasized the need for their immediate withdrawal. The South Korean intelligence agency provided satellite images confirming the arrival of the North Korean special forces in Vladivostok aboard Russian military vessels.

Kim described the deployment as a “significant security threat” not just to South Korea but to the international community. He pointed out that both North Korea and Russia are under extensive UN sanctions—North Korea for its weapons programs and Russia for its military actions in Ukraine—making their military cooperation a violation of Security Council resolutions.In response, the Russian ambassador insisted that cooperation between Russia and North Korea is not aimed at undermining South Korea’s security.

Meanwhile, NATO officials, while not yet confirming the North Korean troop deployments, stated that such a move would represent a “significant escalation” in the conflict. Analysts suggest that North Korea's military support for Russia could allow Kim Jong Un to acquire valuable military technologies, including surveillance systems and submarines. Reports indicate that the North Korean troops are expected to be deployed to the front lines in Ukraine after completing acclimatization training at Russian military bases.South Korea's spy agency reported that from October 8 to 13, North Korea transported its special forces to Russia via a Russian Navy transport ship, marking the beginning of its military involvement in the Ukraine conflict.

Furthermore, since last August, North Korea is believed to have supplied Russia with over 13,000 containers of artillery shells, missiles, and other weapons. Historically, North Korea and Russia have maintained close ties since the latter's establishment, a relationship that has strengthened following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently noted intelligence suggesting that North Korea was preparing to train 10,000 soldiers to support Russia in its conflict with Ukraine. Despite being one of the world's leading arms exporters, South Korea has refrained from supplying weapons to Ukraine, adhering to a domestic policy that prohibits arms sales in active conflict zones. However, it has sold billions of dollars worth of military equipment to Poland, a key ally of Ukraine, with Polish President Andrzej Duda set to visit Seoul this week.