Pyongyang: North Korea on Monday confirmed for the first time that it has deployed troops to Russia to support Moscow's war against Ukraine under their mutual defense treaty, with claims that the North's soldiers helped Russia regain control of Kursk.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the deployment was carried out "by the order" of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, in line with Pyongyang's mutual defense treaty with Moscow, as reported by the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Citing the North's Central Military Commission, the KCNA confirmed the troop deployment, months after thousands of North Korean troops were sent to Russia to engage in combat in the Kursk region.
"The operations for liberating the Kursk area to repel the adventurous invasion of the Russian Federation by the Ukrainian authorities were victoriously concluded," the KCNA stated. It noted that the subunits of the national armed forces participated in these operations "according to the order of the country's head of state," Kim Jong-un.
After assessing that the situation met the conditions for invoking the comprehensive strategic partnership treaty with Russia, Kim "decided our armed forces' participation in the war (and) informed the Russian side of it," the KCNA added. The mutual treaty, signed by Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Pyongyang in June last year, binds the two nations to provide military aid to each other in the event of war.
The KCNA asserted that the military activities by North Korean forces in Russia "fully conform" with the United Nations Charter, other international laws, and the bilateral treaty. It described these actions as "a model example ... of the most faithful expression of action to implement them."
Kim Jong-un was quoted describing the activities as "a sacred mission to further consolidate" friendship and solidarity with Russia, and "defend the honor" of North Korea. He praised those who fought, stating, "They who fought for justice are all heroes and representatives of the honour of the motherland."
In recognition of the soldiers' sacrifices, Kim announced plans to erect a monument in Pyongyang praising their heroism and bravery. He also mentioned that flowers praying for immortality will be placed before the tombstones of soldiers who died in combat, acknowledging the casualties among the troops.
The KCNA reported that the commission is confident that the "invincible" North Korea-Russia friendship, proven in combat, "will greatly contribute to expanding and developing the future relations of friendship and cooperation" between the two nations.
Koo Byung-sam, spokesperson at South Korea's unification ministry, "strongly denounced" North Korea's deployment of troops to Russia, labeling it a clear violation of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions and a provocation to global security. He urged the immediate withdrawal of North Korean troops from Russia and warned of a strong response in collaboration with the international community if North Korea and Russia's "military collusion" continues.
The spokesperson added that the deployment violates the U.N. Charter, which opposes acts of aggression, and UNSC resolutions that prohibit military cooperation with North Korea. He also noted that the ongoing war was instigated by Russia's illegal invasion.
The mutual defense treaty has tightened the alliance between North Korea and Russia, with Moscow reportedly supplying much-needed economic resources to North Korea in exchange for troop support amid the international sanctions impacting Pyongyang's economy.
North Korea's confirmation of troop deployment follows Russia's recent acknowledgment that North Korean soldiers have been fighting in its war with Ukraine. Valery Gerasimov, chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, confirmed their participation during a videoconference with Putin, acknowledging their role in "liberating" the Kursk region.
Since the deployment of more than 10,000 North Korean soldiers to Russia in October, North Korea had been silent on the matter, despite reports of significant casualties among its troops and the capture of two North Korean soldiers by Ukrainian forces in January. South Korea's military estimates that an additional 3,000 North Korean soldiers were sent to the Kursk region in January and February, contributing to Russia's reclamation efforts.