North Korea likely to send troops to support Russia: South’s defense minister

North Korea is likely to send members of its regular armed forces to Ukraine in support of Russia, said South Korea’s defense minister on Tuesday, which would signal a significant deepening of cooperation between the allies.

North Korea and Russia have moved noticeably closer over the past year or more amid widespread suspicion that North Korea has supplied conventional weapons to Russia for its war in Ukraine in return for military and economic assistance. 

This year, the two countries signed a strategic treaty that includes mutual defense elements but they both deny that North Korea is sending Russia weapons.

“As Russia and North Korea have signed a mutual treaty akin to a military alliance, the possibility of such a deployment is highly likely,” South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun told lawmakers during a parliamentary audit session. 

He did not elaborate but said media reports that North Korean military officers were killed recently in Russian-occupied territory near the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk were likely to be true.

Ukraine’s media reported last week that six North Korean officers were among about 20 military personnel killed in a Ukrainian missile strike.

Citing sources in Ukraine’s military intelligence, Interfax-Ukraine reported three North Korean servicemen were also wounded in the missile strike, adding that the North Korean officers were visiting the front as part of an “exchange of experience” program. 

“The Russia-Ukraine war and the deteriorating situation in the Middle East are rapidly changing the global security landscape. Russia’s relations with North Korea are growing as close as their military alliance,” the minister added. 

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‘Closest comrade’

The strength of ties between North Korea and Russia was reflected in a birthday message that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent to President Vladimir Putin on his 72nd birthday.

Sending his congratulations, Kim called Putin “my closest comrade,” saying that relations between their countries had developed into “invincible alliance relations and eternal strategic relations” following Putin’s visit to Pyongyang in June.

“Meetings and comradely ties between us to be continued in the future will make a positive contribution to further consolidating the eternal foundation of the DPRK-Russia friendship and strategic and cooperative relations,” Kim said on Monday, cited by the North’s state-run Korean Central News Agency, or KCNA. 

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, or DPRK, is North Korea’s official name. 

Kim’s friendly message to Putin came a day after Kim and Chinese President Xi Jinping exchanged messages to mark the 75th anniversary of their countries’ relations, which were less effusive and shorter than in the past, hinting at cooler ties.

South Korea’s main security agency has raised the possibility of cooler ties between China and North Korea while media have reported that China is hesitant to form a three-way, anti-West alliance with North Korea and Russia. 

Since holding an opening ceremony for the “DPRK-China Friendship Year” in April, there has been little follow-up by either of the Asian neighbors in terms of celebrations or exchanges to mark the occasion.

Edited by Mike Firn.