““North Korean troops are gaining experience in conducting combat operations, which may create additional security challenges in the region in the future””, — write: www.radiosvoboda.org
He said he met with the country’s President Yoon Seok-yol, Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and National Security Adviser Jang Ho-jin. During these meetings, he talked about the facts of the participation of military personnel from North Korea in the Russian army.
“The troops of the DPRK not only provide equipment and people, but also actively support strikes on the energy infrastructure of Ukraine. For the Republic of Korea, these actions pose a serious threat, because the North Korean troops are gaining experience in conducting combat operations, which may create additional security challenges in the region in the future,” said the head of the Ministry of Defense.
Read also: The Pentagon does not confirm the presence of North Korean troops in Ukraine
Umerov added that at the meeting with Yoon Seok Yeol, he discussed joint steps to “strengthen security and stability.”
He expressed his belief that Ukraine’s arguments about the need to increase cooperation with the Republic of Korea “will lead to a tangible strengthening of security” for both countries and regions.
Earlier, Yoon’s office reported that the South Korean president, during a meeting with the Ukrainian delegation, expressed hope that Seoul and Kyiv will effectively respond to security threats caused by military cooperation between the DPRK and Russia.
At the same time, the statement does not say whether the parties discussed the possible supply of weapons by Seoul to Ukraine. The South Korean news agency Yonhap writes that Umerov did not answer the question of their journalists whether the supply of weapons was discussed during the meeting with Yoon Seok-yol.
Read also: Sibiga discussed with his colleague from South Korea the expansion of cooperation in a number of areas
The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine previously reported that the first military units from the DPRK arrived in the combat zone of the Russian-Ukrainian war on October 23, “their appearance was recorded in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation.”
The Pentagon confirmed the presence of at least 10,000 North Korean troops in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation
On November 5, the sources of the Financial Times and Suspilnyi in the special services informed about the first combat clashes between the Ukrainian and North Korean military in the Kursk region. It was noted that so far “we are not talking about major clashes”.
On October 22, South Korea announced a possible review of support for Kyiv, in particular regarding the provision of lethal weapons and the deployment of personnel, depending on the situation in Ukraine.