Seoul called for the immediate withdrawal of North Korean troops allegedly deployed to fight alongside Russia in its war against Ukraine on Tuesday and signaled it may consider providing “offensive weapons” to Kyiv in response.
“We may consider gradually providing defensive weapons, based on observed scenarios,” a senior presidential official told reporters in a closed-door briefing following the presidential National Security Council (NSC) meeting held earlier in the day.
“If we believe the situation becomes excessively severe, we could contemplate the provision of offensive weapons in the final stage,” the official added.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, South Korea has consistently maintained its policy of providing only non-lethal aid, including gas masks and medical supplies. Yet it has previously hinted that it could provide lethal weapons depending on how Russia’s military cooperation with North Korea unfolds, following North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s summit in Pyongyang in June. South Korea’s National Intelligence Service confirmed last Friday that North Korea plans to send around 12,000 troops to assist Russia.
Local media reports suggest that South Korea is also considering dispatching a “monitoring team” to Ukraine to assess North Korean military activities. Quoting an anonymous government source, the reports say South Korea may send personnel to analyze North Korean tactics, interrogate captured North Korean soldiers and gather intelligence on the ground.
Despite these reports, the presidential office has not confirmed whether a monitoring team will be deployed. The senior official emphasized that “North Korean troops have not yet entered the war,” making it “too early to determine what specific actions South Korea would take in the future.”
![Principal deputy national security adviser Kim Tae-hyo speaks during a press briefing held at the presidential office in Seoul on Tuesday. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2024/10/22/4e90721a-1ff9-401b-872a-240ae667154f.jpg)
During a briefing, Kim Tae-hyo, principal deputy national security adviser, reiterated South Korea’s firm stance against military cooperation between North Korea and Russia.
“The government urges the immediate withdrawal of North Korean troops,” Kim said. “If North Korea and Russia continue their military alliance, we will respond decisively in collaboration with the international community.”
He added that South Korea would implement “step-by-step response measures” based on the progression of military ties between the two countries. However, he declined to provide further details on what these measures might entail, noting that such disclosures could affect North Korea’s and Russia’s strategic decisions.
Both North Korea and Russia have denied the alleged troop deployment.
At a UN General Assembly committee meeting in New York late Monday, a North Korean representative dismissed the claims as “groundless stereotyped rumors” and stated that the allegations were aimed at “smearing the image of [North Korea] and undermining the legitimate, friendly and cooperative relations between two sovereign states.”
This statement marked the first official comment from North Korea regarding the alleged deployment of its troops to Russia. North Korean state media has remained silent on the issue.
Russia has also not confirmed the deployment of North Korean troops.
In response, South Korean Ambassador to the United Nations Hwang Joon-kook accused Russia of “taking a gamble” by involving a third country in its conflict and warned that military cooperation with North Korea could make Pyongyang “an active belligerent in warfare.”
BY SEO JI-EUN [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]
