North Korea is apparently participating militarily in the war in Ukraine

According to South Korean intelligence information, North Korea has transferred 1,500 soldiers to Russia to support the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine. The National Intelligence Service determined that North Korea “transported its special forces to Russia on a Russian Navy transport ship” from October 8 to 13, the agency said on Friday. This confirms the beginning of North Korea’s “military participation”.

The South Korean news agency Yonhap had previously reported, citing intelligence, that Pyongyang was planning to send “four brigades with 12,000 soldiers, including special forces,” to the front.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made a similar statement on Thursday. “We know from the intelligence services that 10,000 soldiers from North Korea are being trained to fight against us,” he said after a meeting with EU heads of state and government in Brussels.

NATO has not yet been able to confirm the information from South Korea. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said in Brussels on Friday that this was currently the alliance’s official position, but that it could still change. The alliance is in contact with South Korea to obtain all information.

Fear of North Korea-Russia alliance

North Korea and Russia have strengthened their military ties in recent years. Experts have long reported that Russia is using North Korean missiles in Ukraine, although Moscow and Pyongyang deny this. Russia also denied reports of the presence of North Korean soldiers in Ukraine fighting alongside Russian troops.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said on Friday that deepened military ties between Moscow and Pyongyang posed a “significant security threat not only to our country but also to the international community.”