North Korea is reportedly preparing to send more troops to Russia to fuel the war in Ukraine, even after significant losses, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) reported.
Seoul plans to hold consultations with Kyiv regarding the transfer of captured North Korean soldiers if they request defection, Yonhap reported on Jan. 14, citing South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lee Jae-woong.
The NIS attributed the high casualties to the soldiers' "lack of understanding of modern warfare," including their "useless" attempts to shoot down long-range drones.
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One potential target for Russian strikes identified in the plans is a nuclear complex in Tokai, Japan.
President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed condolences on Dec. 29 to the families of victims and the people of South Korea following a tragic Jeju Air plane crash that killed at least 176 people, marking the worst disaster involving a South Korean airline in decades.
The confirmation followed a report from Ukraine's military-focused news outlet Militarnyi on Dec. 26, which first revealed the capture without specifying the date of the incident.
North Korea appears to be preparing to supply more arms to Russia on top of some 20,000 containers it had already sent, the Wall Street Journal reported on Dec. 23 based on its analysis of satellite images.
North Korea is preparing to deploy additional troops and weapons, including kamikaze drones, to aid Russia in its full-scale war against Ukraine, the South Korean military said on Dec. 23.
At least 100 North Korean troops have been killed while fighting for Russia against Ukraine, a South Korean lawmaker said after an intelligence briefing, the BBC reported on Dec. 19.
South Korea imposed sanctions on 11 individuals and 15 entities "engaged in illegal military cooperation between Russia and North Korea," the South Korean Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Dec. 17.
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In April of this year, Kyiv and Seoul signed an agreement enabling Ukraine to attract up to $2.1 billion in concessional loans over 2024-2029.
"For the Republic of Korea, these actions pose a serious threat, as North Korean troops are gaining combat experience, which could present additional security challenges in the region in the future," Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said following his visit to South Korea.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol met a Ukrainian delegation led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov in Seoul on Nov. 27 to discuss the deepening military ties between Russia and North Korea, the Yonhap news agency reported.
A Ukrainian delegation led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov arrived in South Korea on Nov. 27, with the aim of requesting military aid from Seoul, several media outlets reported.
South Korea's national security advisor Shin Won-sik on Nov. 22 said Moscow had provided Pyongyang with economic and military technology in exchange for the troops.
South Korea did not provide artillery shells of its own production, nor did it make financial contributions to the purchase of shells from other countries under the Czech initiative to purchase ammunition for Ukraine from third countries.
Key developments on Nov. 7: * Russian strike on Zaporizhzhia kills 9, injures 42, damages hospital * Ukraine may have targeted Iranian weapon supply routes in Dagestan strike, media suggests * South Korea "not ruling out" supplying arms to Ukraine, president says * Russian drone attack on Kyiv damages buildings, causes fires in five
"Now, depending on the level of North Korean involvement, we will gradually adjust our support strategy in phases," South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol told the media. "This means we are not ruling out the possibility of providing weapons."
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol held a phone call on Nov. 7 after the former won the U.S. presidential election, discussing future cooperation.
"Russia’s aggression against Ukraine is an existential threat. The Republic of Korea is best positioned to understand it," Josep Borrell said on X after meeting South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun.
North Korean soldiers are believed to receive $2,000 per month for their service from Russia, adding up to a total of at least $200 million annually if calculated by 10,000 soldiers, Wi Sung-lac, a member of the South Korean parliamentary intelligence committee, told The Korea Herald.
In a lengthy post on social media on Oct. 31, President Volodymyr Zelensky urged Western allies to develop "concrete solutions" to provide additional supports for Ukraine as North Korean troops prepare to engage Ukrainian forces on the battlefield. North Korean soldiers were deployed to Kursk Oblast in late October in
"The evidence now suggests the that North Korea has sent about 10,000 soldiers to train in eastern Russia," U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Oct. 30. "And some of these DPRK troops have already moved closer to Ukraine, and we are seeing them outfitted with Russian uniforms and provided with Russian equipment."
Key developments on Oct. 30: * North Korean soldiers 50 km from Ukraine's border, including special forces, FT reports * Ukraine should strike back if North Korean troops cross into its territory, Biden says * No confidentiality between partners — Zelensky calls out White House over Tomahawk missiles leak * Kremlin denies Russia-Ukraine talks on
Seoul has not received such a request from the Ukrainian side, and the matter is not under consideration, a source in the Presidential Office told the South Korean news agency.
During the phone call, the presidents agreed to "strengthen the sharing of intelligence and expertise and to intensify contacts on all levels, including on the highest level, to develop a response strategy and a list of countermeasures," the Ukrainian president said.
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.
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.
A group of almost 200 ex-North Korean soldiers asked to be deployed in Ukraine to help demoralize and influence Pyongyang's troops joining the war on Russia's side, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported on Oct. 28.
