Seoul May Send Military Specialists to Ukraine to Monitor North Korean Troops

South Korea is considering dispatching military and intelligence specialists to Ukraine following reports of North Korean military involvement in the Russia-Ukraine war, according to Yonhap, citing government sources.

South Korean intelligence had earlier reported that North Korea has already sent approximately 1,500 special forces soldiers to Russia to fight alongside Russian forces. Intelligence reports suggest this could be the vanguard of up to 12,000 troops Pyongyang will send to Russia.

In response, Seoul is weighing up the option of sending its military personnel to Ukraine, who could help analyze North Korean combat strategies or participate in interrogations of any North Korean soldiers that were captured.

Additionally, South Korea is exploring the possibility of supplying defensive arms to Ukraine, a move it has so far refrained from doing in line with its longstanding ban on supplying weapons to countries at war.

Both Moscow and Pyongyang have denied the involvement of North Korean troops, calling the reports “contradictory.” U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated on Oct. 19 that the Pentagon could not yet confirm the reports.

According to South Korean intelligence, the North Korean troops were dispersed in multiple bases in Russia’s Far East and claimed that they were issued “fake ID cards for residents of the Yakutia and Buryatia regions of Siberia” on top of being issued with Russian uniforms and weapons in a bid to conceal their identity.

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Domestic policy prevents Seoul from sending weapons to conflict zones. However, since its spy agency accused North Korea of sending soldiers to aid Moscow, South Korea warned it may change its stance.

The claim corroborated earlier assertions by Ukraine’s HUR main intelligence directorate that a “Special Buryat Battalion” was being created in Russia which would incorporate Pyongyang’s troops.

Two videos, which appeared late evening on Friday, Oct. 18, showed soldiers being equipped with Russian uniforms at the Sergiev training ground in Russia. Kyiv Post sources have confirmed that in both videos Korean was being spoken.

The US State Department said Monday it was “not yet at a point where we're able to confirm those reports and whether they are accurate,” but mentioned it would be a dangerous development for North Korea to send troops to support Russia in Ukraine, as Seoul has asserted.

“We have seen reports the DPRK has sent forces and is preparing to send additional soldiers to Ukraine to fight alongside Russia,” Robert Wood, US ambassador to the United Nations, told the Security Council.

Meanwhile, Beijing has refrained from commenting on this issue. During an Oct. 21 press briefing, Beijing's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian told reporters that Beijing's position on Ukraine “is consistent and clear” and called for a “political solution” without directly commenting on the alleged deployment of North Korean troops to Ukraine at Moscow's behest.