South Korea summons Russian ambassador over reports of North Korean troop deployment to Ukraine
South Korea's Foreign Ministry summoned the Russian ambassador in Seoul over reports of North Korean troops moving into Russia, according to Yonhap news agency.
Last week, both Ukrainian and South Korean officials reported that North Korea had started dispatching troops to Ukraine. There has been no comment on this from Moscow or Pyongyang.
Yonhap states that South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs called in the Russian Ambassador, Georgy Zinoviev, to convey "regret over North Korea's deployment of its soldiers" to the Ukraine conflict. The Deputy Foreign Minister, Kim Hong-kyun, reportedly conveyed Seoul's stance to the ambassador. Zinoviev confirmed the meeting but withheld details.
On October 18, North Korea announced plans to send 12,000 troops, including special forces, to the Ukraine war. That same day, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol convened a security meeting with top intelligence, military, and national security officials to discuss the implications of North Korean troops allegedly joining Russia's fight against Ukraine.
Following this announcement, Ukraine's Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security released a video showing purported North Korean soldiers equipping themselves with Russian gear in preparation for Ukraine deployment. The video features packages with the BTC emblem, possibly representing the clothing manufacturer "BTK Group," known for producing Russian military attire. According to The Insider, the soldiers in the footage are indeed speaking Korean. The video is reportedly shot at the Sergeyevsky training ground in Russia, likely the base of the 127th Motor Rifle Division in Sergeyevka, near the North Korean border.
In June, Vladimir Putin, during a visit to Pyongyang, signed a draft treaty on comprehensive strategic partnership with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The agreement stipulates immediate military assistance should one nation come under armed attack.
South Korean officials had previously hinted at North Korean troops potentially participating in the Ukraine war, although specific details on the scale of deployment were not disclosed.