North Korean Soldiers Headed to Russia: A Ticket to the Front Lines and a Bullseye on Their Backs
The U.S. Secretary of State and Defense announced that North Korean troops dispatched to Russia are expected to be deployed into combat soon. He warned that North Korean troops would be ‘legitimate’ military targets if they engage in combat with Ukraine. Reporter Ham Ji-ha reports.
The United States and South Korea held a meeting of foreign and defense ministers (2+2) in Washington on the 31st to discuss issues such as North Korea’s deployment of troops to Russia and intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) provocations, and agreed to strengthen cooperation between the two countries.
The meeting was attended by Secretary of State Tony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin from the United States, and Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yeol and Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun from the South Korean side.
US-Korea Diplomacy∙Defense “North Korea dispatches troops to Russia and strengthens cooperation against ICBM provocations”
Secretary of State Tony Blinken said at a joint press conference held after the meeting, “We currently estimate that there are about 10,000 North Korean troops in Russia, and recent information shows that up to 8,000 North Korean troops are deployed in the Kursk region of Russia.” “He said.
He added, “It has not yet been confirmed that these troops have entered combat with the Ukrainian army, but we expect that to happen in the next few days.”
[녹취: 블링컨 장관] “We now assess that there are some 10,000 North Korean soldiers in total in Russia, and the more recent information indicates that as many as 8,000 of those North Korean forces have been deployed to the Kursk region. We’ve not yet seen these troops deploy into combat against Ukrainian forces, but we would expect that to happen in the coming days. Russia has been training DPRK soldiers in artillery, UAVs, basic infantry operations including trench clearing, indicating that they fully intend to use these forces in frontline operations. Should these troops engage in combat or combat support operations against Ukraine, they would become legitimate military targets.”
In particular, he pointed out that “Russia provided North Korean soldiers with training in basic infantry operations, including artillery, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), and trench clearing,” and that “this indicates that they are willing to deploy (North Korean) troops in front-line operations.”
He emphasized, “If (North Korean) troops participate in combat or combat support operations against Ukraine, they will become legitimate military targets.”
Secretary Blinken said, “One of the reasons Russia relies on the North Korean military is because of desperation.”
[녹취: 블링컨 장관] “Now, one of the reasons that Russia is turning to these North Korean troops, is that it’s desperate. Putin has been throwing more and more Russians into a meat grinder of his own making in Ukraine. Now he’s turning to North Korean troops, and that is a clear sign of weakness. Russia’s been suffering some 1,200 casualties a day in the East, more than at any other time during the war.”
“Putin is throwing more and more Russians into dangerous military actions in Ukraine that are causing a lot of casualties,” he said, adding, “Now he is relying on the North Korean military, which is a clear sign of weakness.”
Secretary Blinken said the deployment of North Korean troops for this war “emphasizes that security between the Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic regions cannot be separated.”
[녹취: 블링컨 장관] “What we’re also seeing underscores the indivisibility of security between the Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic theaters, something that is clear and clear to all of our allies and partners in both Europe and the Indo-Pacific. It’s reflected in South Korea’s growing partnership with NATO, as well as its support for Ukraine, providing generators, humanitarian assistance, and we’ve discussed what more the Republic of Korea may do in the future.”
He also said, “This is well reflected in Korea’s support for Ukraine, such as providing power generators and humanitarian aid, as well as the strengthening of Korea’s partnership with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO),” adding, “We look forward to seeing what more Korea can do in the future.” “We also discussed it,” he said.
Regarding China’s role in this situation, Secretary Blinken said, “We are working to ensure that China deters North Korea’s provocative actions and stops supporting the Russian defense industrial base that helps Russia continue its conflict and aggression in Ukraine.” “We agreed that more effort needs to be done,” he said.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is speaking at a press conference held after the two countries’ Foreign and Defense Ministers (2+2) meeting in Washington on the 31st.
“If North Korean troops participate in the war, they will be legal military targets.”
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin also warned, “If North Korean forces conduct combat or combat support operations against Ukraine, they will be legitimate military targets.”
“We are in close consultation with our allies, partners, and other countries in the region regarding this reckless development and our response,” he said.
[녹취: 오스틴 장관] “Make no mistake, if these North Korean troops engage in combat or combat support operations against Ukraine, they would make themselves legitimate military targets. So we are consulting closely with our allies and partners, and other countries in the region on these reckless developments and on our response. In recent months, Ukrainian forces have caused more than 1,200 Russian casualties per day, more than in any other time during Putin’s war… The Kremlin’s North Korean gambit just underscores how badly Putin’s war has gone and how much trouble he’s in. This is the first time in more than a century that Russia has welcomed foreign troops onto its own shore.”
Secretary Austin emphasized, “In recent months, Ukrainian forces have killed more than 1,200 Russian soldiers a day, which is more than ever before in Putin’s war.”
“The Kremlin’s ‘North Korea gamble’ clearly shows how badly Putin’s war has gone and how much trouble he is in,” he said, adding, “This is the first time in over 100 years that Russia has brought in foreign troops into the country.” I did it.
Secretary Austin said it has not yet been confirmed whether North Korean soldiers will be sent to the battlefield, but “they are expected to join the fight in Ukraine in the next few days.”
[녹취: 오스틴 장관] “Now, we’ve not yet seen these soldiers deploying into combat against Ukraine’s forces, but we expect that these North Korean soldiers will join the fight against Ukraine in the coming days. Our assessment is that Putin’s forces have trained these North Korean soldiers in artillery operations, UAV operations and basic infantry operations, including trench clearing. The Kremlin has also provided these DPRK troops with Russian uniforms and equipment and all that strongly indicates that Russia intends to use these foreign forces in frontline operations in its war of choice against Ukraine.”
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yeol is speaking at a press conference held after the two countries’ Foreign and Defense Ministers (2+2) meeting in Washington on the 31st.
“We call for an immediate halt to the deployment of North Korean troops.”
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yeol also said, “We reaffirmed that Russia-North Korea military cooperation, including North Korea’s recent deployment of troops to Russia, is a clear violation of a number of UN Security Council resolutions, condemned it in the strongest terms, and called for an immediate halt to all illegal military cooperation, including the deployment of North Korean troops.” “I strongly urged it,” he said.
[녹취: 조태열 장관] “We share the view that the dispatch of North Korean troops will not only further delay Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine, but also pose a serious threat to peace and security not only on the Korean Peninsula but also in the European region, and we will take necessary response measures as the situation evolves based on close information sharing and cooperation in the future. We agreed to take it.”
In addition, the two sides said, “We reaffirmed the goal of North Korea’s complete denuclearization and strongly condemned North Korea’s continuous and illegal missile provocations and nuclear and WMD development.”
In addition, in response to North Korea’s habitual violations of Security Council resolutions, the recently launched ‘Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT)’ said, “We have decided to continue cooperation with the international community so that sanctions against North Korea can be implemented more strongly and effectively.” ‘ expressed expectations.
After his remarks on this day, Minister Cho responded to a question about China’s role in North Korea’s troop dispatch to Russia by saying, “I believe that China clearly has a role to play.”
[녹취: 조태열 장관] “With regard to the recent military cooperation and the issue of North Korea’s troop dispatch to Russia, China has expressed its position externally and is taking a cautious stance, but we assume that it is feeling quite uncomfortable inside.”
In his general remarks that day, South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun said, “We agree that the U.S.-ROK alliance is a key axis of peace, security, and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and the Indo-Pacific region, and agreed to strengthen cooperation as a global comprehensive strategic alliance.”
In addition, the United States and South Korea issued the ‘Joint Statement on Guidelines for Nuclear Deterrence and Nuclear Operations on the Korean Peninsula’ last July, emphasizing the United States’ commitment to extended deterrence, saying, “We have elevated the alliance to a nuclear-based alliance in name and reality.”
[녹취: 김용현 장관] “We reaffirmed our common goal of complete denuclearization of North Korea and decided to continue to strengthen our ability to implement extended deterrence based on historical joint guidelines. “The United States reaffirmed its firm commitment to provide extended deterrence to the Republic of Korea through the operation of a full range of military capabilities.”
“North Korea provides over 1,000 missiles to Russia”
Meanwhile, Minister Kim Yong-hyun announced on this day that North Korea had provided Russia with nearly 10 million artillery shells and about 1,000 missiles.
[녹취: 김용현 장관] “You can think of the number of artillery shells that North Korea provided to Russia as being in the millions. You can understand these millions of shots not as 1 million or 2 million shots, but as millions of shots closer to 10 million. And we understand that about 1,000 missiles have currently been supported.”
Meanwhile, following the 2+2 meeting on this day, Secretary Blinken and Minister Cho Tae-yeol held a meeting of U.S.-ROK foreign ministers.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a press release that day, “Secretary Blinken and Secretary Cho discussed their shared concerns about deepening relations between Russia and North Korea, including the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia’s Kursk region.”
[밀러 대변인] “Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met with Republic of Korea (ROK) Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul following the 6th U.S.-Republic of Korea Foreign and Defense Ministerial Meeting with Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and ROK Minister of Defense Kim Yong-hyun. Secretary Blinken and Foreign Minister Cho discussed shared concerns over deepening ties between Russia and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, including the deployment of DPRK troops to the Kursk Oblast of Russia. They also spoke about efforts to further strengthen bilateral cooperation on the full range of global and regional issues. The two officials acknowledged a shared commitment to deepening the U.S.-ROK Alliance, which continues to be the linchpin of peace, security, and prosperity for the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.”
He added, “The two sides also discussed efforts to further strengthen cooperation between the two countries on a full range of global and regional issues.”
The two secretaries also “affirmed their joint efforts to deepen the U.S.-ROK alliance, which is a key pillar of peace, security, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond,” Miller said.
This is Hamjiha from VOA News.