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China has long been North Korea’s main ally, but its influence over the reclusive nuclear-armed state is being eroded by leader Kim Jong Un’s growing ties with Moscow.
China has long been North Korea’s main ally, but its influence over the reclusive nuclear-armed state is being eroded by leader Kim Jong Un’s growing ties with Moscow.
North Korean troops will begin fighting alongside Russian forces as soon as this weekend, Ukraine said Friday — adding new urgency to a stunning turn in the war that has alarmed the Kremlin’s foes but may also be causing a headache for its friends.
Reports confirmed by Washington this week that North Korea is sending soldiers to Russia to possible battle Ukraine have raised serious concern among the U.S. and its allies, who say their involvement marks a major escalation in the grinding conflict and could deepen security risks for North Korea’s neighbors.
It is also likely to be unwelcome news in China, which has long been North Korea’s main ally but whose influence over the reclusive nuclear-armed state is being eroded by leader Kim Jong Un’s growing relationship with President Vladimir Putin.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's comments were Washington’s first confirmation of a major development over which South Korea and Ukraine have recently sounded the alarm.
North Korea has sent troops to Russia, the United States said Wednesday, its first public confirmation of a move that has rattled Western allies and could mark a major escalation of Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
“There is evidence of DPRK troops in Russia,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters in Rome, using the abbreviation for North Korea’s formal name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
"What exactly they're doing is left to be seen," Austin said, adding, "We're trying to gain better fidelity on it." It's a "serious issue," he said, if North Korea's "intention is to participate in this war on Russia's behalf."
His comments came after South Korea and Ukraine sounded the alarm in recent days, sharing intelligence and voicing dissatisfaction with what they see as a lack of urgency in the response from the U.S. and other Western countries.
South Korea's Defense Ministry also said it will review measures regarding possible supply of lethal weapons to Ukraine.
South Korean media claimed on Monday that Seoul could send military and intelligence personnel to Ukraine after the North dispatched troops to support Russia in the war.
A report said the government and military of South Korea "are reviewing a plan to send an appropriate number of personnel, including intelligence officers [specialized in North Korea] and experts in enemy tactics," to Ukraine, citing a South Korean intelligence official.
South Korean personnel in Ukraine would interrogate or provide interpretation services if North Korean soldiers were captured by Ukrainian forces, the report said. They would also provide Kyiv with information about the North's military tactics, doctrine, and operations.
Defense ministry says is not considering female conscription
SEOUL, Jan. 30 (Yonhap) -- The defense ministry said Tuesday it is not considering conscripting women for the country's mandatory military service after the issue received renewed attention in a campaign pledge ahead of the April general elections.
On Monday, the leader of the newly created Reformative Conservative Party, Lee Jun-seok, proposed having women serve in the military first if they want to apply for jobs as police officers or firefighter as a campaign pledge.
When asked about the possibility of female conscription, the ministry's spokesperson Jeon Ha-kyou denied considering it.