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South Korea is demanding that North Korea withdraw the troops it claims are stationed in Russia

South Korea is demanding that North Korea withdraw the troops it claims are stationed in Russia

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South Korea’s Foreign Ministry on Monday called out Russia’s ambassador over North Korea’s alleged deployment of troops to support the Russian military in its war against Ukraine.

The deployment of North Korean troops in the Ukraine conflict violates the UN Charter and General Assembly resolutions and endangers the security of South Korea, the ministry said in a statement.

“We strongly condemn North Korea’s illegal military cooperation, including sending troops to Russia,” Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun told Ambassador Georgy Zinoviev, the ministry said. “We will respond together with the international community by mobilizing all available resources against actions that threaten our core security interests.”

Zinoviev responded that Russian cooperation with North Korea was in accordance with international law and was not directed against South Korea, according to a Facebook post from the Russian embassy.

Reports that Russia will use North Korean troops in the war with Ukraine are unconfirmed. The Kremlin previously denied this.

South Korean intelligence said on Friday that North Korea had sent 1,500 special forces to train at Russian military bases in the Far East. The troops would likely be deployed to fight in Ukraine, the intelligence agency said.

The agency said it worked with Ukrainian spies and used facial recognition technology and artificial intelligence to identify North Korean military officers alongside Russian forces in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has also accused North Korea of ​​sending 10,000 soldiers to Russia.

South Korea’s defense ministry said it consulted with the US on Monday. The White House National Security Council said it could not confirm the reports, but added that it would represent “a dangerous development” in the war, according to a spokesman.

Mark Rutte, NATO’s secretary general, said on X that he had spoken to South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. North Korea sending troops into the conflict “would represent a significant escalation,” he wrote.

Contribution: Reuters