In the midst of a tightly contested election, the need for on-the-ground reporting is more critical than ever.
According to The Independent, South Korea has issued a stern warning that it may consider arming Ukraine in response to allegations of North Korea deploying troops to Russia. This statement from South Korea appears to be a strategic move to dissuade Russia from incorporating North Korean forces into its conflict with Ukraine. South Korean officials express concern that Russia may reciprocate North Korea's support by providing advanced weapons technologies, thereby enhancing North Korea's nuclear and missile programs that pose a threat to South Korea.
During an emergency meeting of the National Security Council, top South Korean officials denounced North Korea's alleged troop deployment as "a grave security threat" to both South Korea and the international community. They characterized North Korea as "a criminal group" that coerces its young people into serving as mercenaries for Russia in an unjust war, as stated by the South Korean presidential office.
The officials agreed on a phased response strategy, tying their reactions to the progression of Russian-North Korean military cooperation. Potential measures encompass diplomatic, economic, and military options. A senior South Korean presidential official, speaking anonymously, revealed that South Korea might consider sending both defensive and offensive weapons to Ukraine.
The official expressed fears that North Korea could leverage Russian technologies to refine its nuclear missiles. They also noted that Russia's potential assistance in modernizing North Korea's outdated conventional weapons systems and acquiring a space-based surveillance system would pose a significant security threat to South Korea.
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, South Korea has supported U.S.-led sanctions against Moscow and provided humanitarian and financial aid to Kyiv. However, it has refrained from directly supplying arms to Ukraine, adhering to its policy of not providing weapons to countries actively engaged in conflicts.
South Korea's intelligence agency confirmed last week that North Korea dispatched 1,500 special operation forces to Russia this month. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has claimed that his government has intelligence indicating that 10,000 North Korean soldiers are being prepared to join the invading Russian forces.
Over the past two years, North Korea and Russia have significantly increased their cooperation. In June, they signed a major defense deal obligating both countries to provide immediate military assistance if either is attacked. South Korea responded by stating it would consider sending arms to Ukraine, echoing its statement on Tuesday.
South Korea's intelligence agency reported that North Korea had shipped over 13,000 containers of artillery, missiles, and other conventional arms to Russia since August 2023 to replenish its depleting weapons stockpiles.
Both North Korea and Russia have denied the allegations of North Korean troop deployment and the supposed weapons transfer.
During a U.N. Security Council meeting on Monday, Russias U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia dismissed the South Korean claims and Western allegations of Iran supplying Russia with missiles and China providing arms components. He accused the West of circulating scaremongering with Iranian, Chinese and Korean bogeymen, each one of which is more absurd than the one before.
In a separate U.N. committee meeting, a North Korean diplomat dismissed the allegations of troop deployment as groundless, stereotype rumors aimed at smearing the image of North Korea and undermining the legitimate cooperation between two sovereign states.
While the U.S. and NATO have not confirmed North Koreas troop deployment, they have warned of the potential danger of such a development if true. U.S. deputy ambassador to the U.N. Robert Wood described the alleged North Korean troop dispatch as a dangerous and highly concerning development and noted that the U.S. was consulting with our allies and partners on such a dramatic move.
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