Seoul summons Russian ambassador amid reports of North Korean troops joining Russia's war in Ukraine

South Korea's Foreign Ministry has summoned Russian Ambassador Georgy Zinoviev to Seoul to lodge a protest over the deployment of North Korean troops to Ukraine.

Source: BBC News Russian, citing South Korean news agency Yonhap

Details: The ambassador reportedly met with Kim Hong-kyun, South Korea's First Deputy Foreign Minister. The South Korean Foreign Ministry has not responded to requests for comment.

Background:

• On 8 October, the South Korean Ministry of Defence said that North Korea was likely to send some of its regular armed forces to Ukraine to support Russia.
• On 13 October, President Zelenskyy stated that North Korea was supplying Russia not only with weapons but also with military personnel, and called on partners to increase aid for Ukraine. On 14 October, in his evening address, Zelenskyy announced that North Korea had de facto entered the war. On 17 October, Zelenskyy specified that Russia intended to involve about 10,000 soldiers from North Korea in the war against Ukraine.
• On 18 October, Kyrylo Budanov, Head of Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, confirmed that approximately 11,000 North Korean infantry troops were being trained in Russia’s east. They are expected to be ready for combat against Ukraine by 1 November.
• South Korea's National Intelligence Service reported that North Korea had sent 1,500 special forces troops to the war in Ukraine to help Russia. They have arrived in Russia.
• On Saturday, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin noted that he could not confirm reports suggesting that North Korea had sent troops to Russia to join the war against Ukraine.

Support UP or become our patron!