Body Bags Await: U.S. Issues Stark Warning to North Korea Over Ukraine Intervention

“If North Korean troops enter Ukraine to support Russia, they will definitely return in body bags.”

U.S. Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations Robert Wood gave this warning to North Korea, which has dispatched troops to Ukraine, at the Security Council held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on the 30th of last month (local time). On this day, the Security Council discussed North Korea’s deployment of troops to the Ukraine war. North Korea also attended the meeting not only as a member of the board of directors but also as a party.

Hwang Jun-guk, South Korea’s ambassador to the United Nations, said, “There are concerns that the North Korean military will become a legitimate military target and become a bullet point, and the money they are supposed to receive from Russia will end up in Kim Jong-un’s pocket.” He added, “It appears that the North Korean military’s deployment to the front will proceed faster than expected. “With more than 600,000 Russian casualties, we know very well what will happen to North Korean soldiers,” he warned.

Japanese Ambassador to the United Nations Kazuyuki Yamazaki emphasized, “Japan has confirmed reliable information that North Korean soldiers were dispatched to Russia and participated in military training, and this is a blatant violation of Security Council resolutions.”

Kim Sung, North Korea’s ambassador to the United Nations, strongly countered the criticism leveled at North Korea. He said, “We strongly condemn the United States and its followers for holding this meeting to distort the perception of the situation with hostile policies and passive political motives toward North Korea and Russia.” He added, “North Korea and Russia have a comprehensive strategic partnership in compliance with international law norms.” “We have the right to develop overall bilateral relations in all fields, including politics, economy, military, and culture, in accordance with the treaty on the two sides,” he asserted.

Reporter Ha Soo-young ha.suyoung@joongang.co.kr