Selected NK troops, generals may be deployed to front lines: NIS

A contingent of North Korean troops, including high-ranking generals, deployed to Russia may now be positioned on the front lines of the Ukraine war, South Korea’s spy agency reported Tuesday, adding that the Kim Jong-un regime appears to be clamping down on information about the troop dispatch internationally. "Troop movements between Russia and North Korea have been assessed as underway, with the agency examining the potential relocation of certain personnel, including high-ranking

Oct. 29, 2024

N. Korean troops may deploy to Ukraine-Russia front sooner than expected: Yoon

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol warned Monday that North Korean troops could be deployed by Russia to the front lines against Ukraine "sooner than expected," according to the presidential office. Yoon shared intelligence on North Korea's troop deployments to Russia and discussed potential response measures during a phone call with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, held at her request, the presidential office said in a statement. "The (South Korean) pres

Oct. 28, 2024

S. Korea to hold talks with NATO allies amid NK troops in Russia

South Korea is set to convene its first 2+2 foreign and defense ministerial meeting with the United States in more than three years, paired with inaugural 2+2 talks with Canada, at a critical juncture marked by concerns of possible North Korean troop deployment to the Ukraine-Russia combat zone. The high-stakes meetings will take place in a pivotal week of diplomacy and include top diplomats and defense leaders from founding NATO members -- staunch allies of Ukraine since Russia's invasion.

Oct. 28, 2024

Signs point to N. Korean troops in Russia-Ukraine combat zone

Growing indications suggest that North Korean troops are on the brink of deployment to support Russia’s war efforts in Ukraine, as North Korean soldiers have reportedly arrived in Russia's Kursk region, where Russian and Ukrainian forces have been battling for control of key strategic border location. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday that Russia is expected to deploy the first contingent of North Korean soldiers to combat zones as early as Sunday and Monday, based on an

Oct. 27, 2024

Yoon signals flexibility in no-weapons policy for Ukraine

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday suggested possible flexibility in the country's longstanding policy of withholding lethal weapons aid to Ukraine, framing it as part of a phased counterstrategy in response to North Korea’s dispatch of troops to Russia. Yoon's comment came after South Korea's presidential office confirmed Tuesday that, depending on how the battlefield situation in Ukraine unfolds, Seoul will first consider providing defensive weapons, with the option of late

Oct. 24, 2024

N. Korea's support puts Putin in its debt: experts

North Korea's dispatch of personnel to support Russia's invasion of Ukraine -- even if their military involvement is limited or indirect -- could put Russian President Vladimir Putin in Pyongyang's debt, experts said. The development may also set the stage for reciprocal support from Moscow for Kim Jong-un's aggressive ambitions, especially if North Korean casualties occur in the Ukraine war. Whether North Korea has dispatched troops to Russia remains a hotly debated issue, w

Oct. 23, 2024

S. Korea, UK to initiate 2+2 talks, boost defense ties

Top diplomats of South Korea and the United Kingdom have agreed to launch foreign and defense ministerial "2+2" talks early next year in a bid to strengthen their joint response to regional and global security threats, while pledging further cooperation on co-developing defense capabilities, according to a joint statement released Tuesday. South Korea’s Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy met for the 9th Korea-UK Foreign Ministers' Strategi

Oct. 22, 2024

Seoul warns Russian envoy on North Korea troop deployment

South Korea's First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun summoned Russian Ambassador Georgy Zinoviev on Monday to issue a stern warning over North Korea’s deployment of troops to Russia in support of its war in Ukraine -- a move confirmed by Seoul's intelligence agency last week -- and to demand their immediate withdrawal. The Foreign Ministry in Seoul said that the summoning of Russia's top envoy was aimed at conveying the South Korean government’s "grave stance o

Oct. 21, 2024

North Korea sends troops to support Russia in Ukraine war: NIS

North Korea has dispatched special forces to support Russia in its war against Ukraine, with the first batch already having arrived in Russia and a second group of North Korean troops expected to follow soon, South Korea's intelligence agency claimed on Friday. The National Intelligence Service said it "confirmed that North Korea began its participation in the war by transporting special forces to Russia via Russian Navy transport ships from Oct. 8 to 13." However, the NIS provided no

Oct. 18, 2024

Kim Jong-un drills front-line troops, branding S. Korea as 'foreign, hostile'

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un doubled down on the legitimacy of using offensive forces against South Korea in the event of a contingency, drilling into front-line troops the notion of South Korea as both a "foreign" and "hostile" country. Kim on Thursday visited the headquarters of the Korean People's Army's 2nd Corps positioned on the front lines near the inter-Korean border, with Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea Pak Jong-chon

Oct. 18, 2024