The United States said on Wednesday that it had seen evidence of North Korean troops in Russia. And South Korean intelligence officials told lawmakers that about 3,000 soldiers had been sent to support Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Speaking in Rome, Italy, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said, "There is evidence that there are DPRK troops in Russia.” DPRK is short for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name.
Austin said it would be "very, very serious" if the North Koreans were preparing to fight alongside Russia in Ukraine, as Ukraine’s government has claimed. However, the defense chief added that it remained to be seen what the North Korean soldiers are doing in Russia.
3000 troops sent to Russia
South Korean intelligence first reported that the Russian navy had taken 1,500 North Korean special warfare troops to Russia last week. And Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his government had intelligence information saying that 10,000 North Korean soldiers are preparing to join the invading Russian forces.
South Korean lawmakers then said that intelligence chief Cho Tae-yong told them another 1,500 had entered Russia, with thousands more expected to follow.
Park Sun-won, a member of a parliamentary intelligence committee, said after the briefing that troops seem to have gone to several training centers in Russia. They are “adapting to the local environment,” Park added.
South Korean intelligence officials also said that North Korea had sent more than 13,000 containers of artillery, missiles and other weapons to Russia since August 2023.
The Ukraine conflict broke out when Russia invaded the country in February 2022. The war has largely been fought along the front lines in eastern Ukraine, with huge numbers of casualties on both sides.
Austin said the North Korean deployment could be additional evidence that the Russian military was having problems with manpower.
In the past, Russia has dismissed South Korea's claims about the North's troop deployment, calling it "fake news." And a North Korean representative to the United Nations in New York called the claims "groundless rumors" at a meeting on Monday.
Both countries have also denied weapons transfers. But the two countries have agreed to increase military ties. And they signed a mutual defense treaty at a meeting in June.
Lee Seong-kweun, another South Korean lawmaker, said intelligence officials confirmed that Russia had recruited a "large number" of interpreters for the North Korean soldiers. The Russians are also training the North Korean soldiers in the use of modern military weapons, such as drones.
North Korea has 1.2 million troops - one of the largest standing armies in the world. But it has not fought in large conflicts since the 1950-1953 Korean War.
Many experts question how much North Korean troops would help Russia, noting a shortage of battle experience. They say North Korea wants to get Russian economic support and wants its help to modernize the North’s weapons systems.
On Tuesday, South Korea’s presidential office urged an immediate withdrawal of the North's troops from Russia. South Korean officials warned that it may consider supplying lethal weapons to Ukraine if military ties between Russia and North Korea went too far.
I'm Ashley Thompson.
Hai Do adapted this story for Learning English based on reporting from Reuters and The Associated Press.
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Words in This Story
casualty - n. a person who is hurt or killed during war or accident
manpower - n. the number of people available
mutual - adj. shared between two or more people or groups
recruit - v. to find suitable people to join organization or armed forces...
interpreter - n. a person who translates words that someone is speaking from another language
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