South Korea summons Russian ambassador over North Korean troops involvement in Ukraine war

Yonhap reported the information.

It was confirmed that First Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun met with Russian Ambassador Georgy Zinoviev to communicate the government’s position.

Kim stated that military cooperation between Russia and North Korea "poses a serious threat to South Korea and the international community."

South Korea's foreign ministry emphasized that the deputy minister "condemned in the strongest terms the illegal military cooperation, including the North's troop deployment, and sternly warned that South Korea will respond with every possible means, with the international community, to any acts that threaten the core interests of South Korea."

Zinoviev responded, asserting that Russia’s cooperation with North Korea is "not directed against South Korea's security interests" and is "carried out within the framework of international law."

The Russian Embassy in South Korea added that Moscow and Pyongyang hold opposing views on the causes of rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

Russia-North Korea military cooperation: What we know

On October 4, the Kyiv Post reported that 20 soldiers were killed in a missile strike on occupied Donetsk, including six North Korean military personnel advising the Russian army.

South Korean Defense Minister warned on October 8 that North Korea may deploy troops to Ukraine in support of Russia.

At an October 17 press conference in Brussels, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed Russia's plan to train 10,000 North Korean soldiers for combat in Ukraine.

Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s Military Intelligence, later reported that 11,000 North Korean infantrymen are training in eastern Russia, preparing for deployment to Ukraine. He added that the first unit of 2,600 soldiers is en route to Kursk, where Ukraine has established a stronghold.

Ukraine has since shared intelligence with NATO about North Korea’s military involvement and requested data from alliance members.

On October 19, reports surfaced that North Korea had sent 1,500 special forces to Russia.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha also noted that North Korean KN-23/24 missiles, used by Russia in attacks on Ukraine, contained Western components.

Finally, on October 21, it was reported that 18 North Korean soldiers had been detained by Russian forces after attempting to desert their positions in the Kursk region. These troops are expected to participate in future assaults against Ukrainian forces.