President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks throughout his telephone name with European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen on the presidential workplace in Seoul on Monday, on this picture supplied by his workplace. (Yonhap)
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol warned Monday that North Korean troops could possibly be deployed by Russia to the entrance strains in opposition to Ukraine “earlier than anticipated,” in line with the presidential workplace.
Yoon shared intelligence on North Korea’s troop deployments to Russia and mentioned potential response measures throughout a telephone name with European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen, held at her request, the presidential workplace stated in an announcement.
“The president defined that North Korean forces might really be deployed to the entrance strains in opposition to Ukraine earlier than anticipated, which is a grave state of affairs,” the assertion learn, with out additional particulars.
South Korea’s Nationwide Intelligence Service initially assessed that round 12,000 North Korean troopers can be despatched to Russia by December, with roughly 3,000 having arrived on Russian soil as of Oct. 23.
Through the telephone name, Yoon additionally said that the South Korean authorities would “actively implement phased measures relying on the progress of army cooperation between Russia and North Korea, whereas urging the fast withdrawal of North Korean forces and the cessation of Russia-North Korea army cooperation.”
In response, von der Leyen said that the EU would stay vigilant, collaborating with member states to formulate proactive measures addressing army cooperation between Russia and North Korea. She additionally pledged to work intently with South Korea all through this course of, in line with Yoon’s workplace.
Yoon additionally shared “the newest intelligence on North Korea’s troop deployments to Russia and their involvement within the Ukraine battle, discussing potential response measures” throughout a telephone name with NATO Secretary Normal Mark Rutte on Monday, in line with Yoon’s workplace.
The telephone name — which adopted a earlier one on Oct. 21 — occurred shortly after a high-level South Korean authorities delegation, led by Hong Jang-won, First Deputy Director of the Nationwide Intelligence Service, briefed NATO’s North Atlantic Council on North Korean troop deployments to Russia.
The session, held at NATO headquarters in Brussels, was attended by ambassadors from NATO’s 32 member nations and its 4 Indo-Pacific companions: Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea.
Yoon additionally defined that the high-level South Korean authorities delegation will maintain a separate briefing on North Korean troop deployments to Russia on the EU’s Political and Safety Committee on Tuesday.
Through the telephone name, Yoon additional outlined plans for the federal government delegation to go to Ukraine afterward to share info on the present battle state of affairs with intelligence and protection officers and to debate future cooperation measures with Ukrainian authorities.
NATO Secretary Normal Mark Rutte delivers an announcement, after a gathering with a excessive degree South Korean delegation together with high intelligence and army officers in addition to senior diplomats briefed NATO diplomats, at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Monday. (AP)
In the meantime, following the South Korean authorities’s debriefing at NATO, Rutte publicly confirmed the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia’s southwestern Kursk area, the place Ukrainian forces have maintained a foothold since August.
“As we speak, I can verify that North Korean troops have been despatched to Russia and that North Korean army items have been deployed to the Kursk area” Rutte sadi Monday throughout a press briefing following the briefing.
“The deployment of North Korean troops represents, one, a big escalation within the DPRK’s ongoing involvement in Russia’s unlawful battle; two, one more breach of UN Safety Council resolutions; and three, a harmful growth of Russia’s battle.”
The DPRK stands for North Korea’s official title, the Democratic Individuals’s Republic of Korea.
The NATO chief condemned the deepening army cooperation between Russia and North Korea as a “risk to each Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic safety,” calling for the 2 nations to instantly halt all army cooperation, together with North Korea’s troop deployments.
Rutte additional emphasised, “However the deployment of North Korean troops to Kursk can be an indication of Putin’s rising desperation.”
The NATO chief defined that over 600,000 Russian troopers have been killed or wounded in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s battle and “he’s unable to maintain his assault on Ukraine with out overseas assist.”
“NATO allies will proceed to assist a free and democratic Ukraine, as a result of Ukraine’s safety is our safety. As we speak, we mentioned the necessity to additional strengthen army assist to Ukraine,” Rutte instructed reporters.
“We’re actively consulting inside the alliance, with Ukraine, and with our Indo-Pacific companions on these developments, and we proceed to observe the state of affairs intently.”
