Russia and North Korea have reportedly agreed to a military alliance, according to South Korea’s defense minister.
“The issue of deploying regular troops is highly likely due to the mutual agreements that resemble a military alliance between Russia and North Korea,” Kim Yong-hyun, South Korea’s defense minister, reported The Telegraph.
Even though there have been speculations about Kim Jong-un, the dictator of North Korea, sending troops to support Russia in Ukraine, it seems that we now have proof.
Declassified U.S. intelligence at the start of the year linked fragments of rockets found in Ukraine to images of Kim Jong-un visiting a missile factory, indicating a growing alliance that provides Moscow with essential weapons and assists Kim Jong-un in improving his missile technology.
In June, Putin made his first visit to North Korea in 24 years to sign a “strategic partnership agreement” and express personal gratitude to Kim Jong-un for his support. The two authoritarian leaders have been strengthening their ties and engaging in arms trade since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Democratic nations caution that North Korea has become an essential arms provider to Moscow as Russia endeavors to maintain its ongoing war against Ukraine. South Korea reportedly told Washington that the “deepening military cooperation” between Russia and North Korea “violates UN Security Council resolutions and undermines peace and stability.”
Reports from Ukraine in September indicated that Ukrainian troops were targeted with North Korean missiles, reported The Telegraph. Additionally, reports from Russia suggest that South Korean workers might be brought in to address labor shortages in Moscow resulting from the conflict in Ukraine.
North Korea is now sending troops to fight and die in Ukraine alongside Russian soldiers, according to Kim Yong-hyun.
Kim Yong-hyun confirmed that North Koreans were now participating in the war, as reported by Ukrainian sources, and have already suffered casualties.
On October 8, Kim Yong-hyun stated it was “highly likely” six North Korean officers were killed in a Ukrainian missile strike on Donetsk last week, per Fox News.