Seoul, June 18 (AP) North Korea is set to deploy thousands of military construction workers and deminers to assist in reconstruction efforts in Russia's Kursk region, reported a high-ranking Russian official on Tuesday, marking an intensifying collaboration between the two nations.
North Korea has already dispatched thousands of combat troops and substantial conventional weaponry to support Russia in its ongoing conflict with Ukraine. In April, both Pyongyang and Moscow acknowledged that their forces cooperated to fend off a Ukrainian attempt to breach Russia's Kursk border region, although Ukraine maintains that their forces are still active in the area.
On the conclusion of a one-day visit to Pyongyang, Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu announced that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has pledged to send 1,000 landmine clearing specialists and 5,000 military construction personnel to rebuild infrastructure in the Kursk region, per Tass, Russia's state news agency.
Reports from another Russian state news agency, RIA Novosti, echoed this information.
“Following the removal of invaders from our territory, we have decided to sustain our constructive collaboration, with Korea providing assistance for Kursk's restoration,” declared Shoigu, as cited by RIA Novosti. "This signifies a form of fraternal aid from the Korean people and their leader, Kim Jong Un, to our nation."
Shoigu mentioned that Moscow and Pyongyang have concurred to establish memorials in both countries to honor North Korean soldiers who lost their lives in the Kursk region, as reported by Tass and RIA Novosti.
Kim Affirms Full Support of Russia's Military Actions Against Ukraine North Korea's Korean Central News Agency announced on Wednesday that Kim reaffirmed North Korea's cooperative stance with Russia regarding current events in Kursk, but omitted any mention of dispatching army construction workers and deminers, as indicated by Russian media.
KCNA quoted Kim emphasizing his commitment to “unconditionally uphold” what he described as Russian actions to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Kim has previously expressed similar views endorsing Russia's warfare against Ukraine.
Additionally, KCNA noted that Kim and Shoigu sanctioned certain strategies for “perpetuating the heroic deeds demonstrated by” North Korean forces in the liberation of the Kursk area, seemingly alluding to the memorial plans.
Neither North Korea nor Russia has disclosed exact numbers of North Korean forces deployed in Russia or how many have perished. Nevertheless, South Korean, U.S., and Ukrainian assessments estimate about 15,000 North Korean troops in Russia. South Korea's intelligence agency reported in April that approximately 600 North Korean soldiers had died on the Russia-Ukraine fronts.
The growing North Korea-Russia ties have alarmed the US, South Korea, and its allies, amid concerns that Russian President Vladimir Putin might reciprocate by supplying Kim with critical technologies to advance his nuclear and missile endeavors.
The two states, both at odds with the US and its allies, have significantly strengthened their alliance. A landmark defense treaty, signed by Kim and Putin in 2024, stipulates mutual aid if one is attacked.
This visit marked Shoigu's third trip to North Korea within three months. The two nations have previously conducted high-level exchanges, with Kim visiting Russia in 2023 and Putin traveling to North Korea in 2024. Observers anticipate Kim may soon meet Putin again for a summit in Russia.
Reactions from South Korea, US, and Japan On Thursday, South Korea's Foreign Ministry voiced “grave concern” over what it perceives as continued illegal collaboration between North Korea and Russia.
The US State Department informed South Korea's Yonhap News Agency that Russia's ongoing employment of North Korean workers and soldiers is “deeply concerning,” and accused Pyongyang of “depending on Russia for desperately needed funding via labor and soldier hire schemes."
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba also expressed substantial concern, declaring that intensified cooperation between Russia and North Korea threatens to endanger global security.
On Wednesday, a trilateral aerial training exercise was conducted by South Korea, the US, and Japan off the coast of South Korea's Jeju island as part of their efforts to enhance security cooperation in response to North Korea's emerging nuclear threats, according to the South Korean air force.
In South Korea, apprehensions have emerged that the 2024 North Korea-Russia defense treaty could lead to Russian involvement in a potential conflict on the Korean Peninsula. Experts suggest that North Korean forces could also gain valuable combat experience from the Russia-Ukraine war.
South Korea, the US, and others assert that the ongoing North Korea-Russia military cooperation includes actions that clearly breach UN Security Council resolutions, which prohibit any weapons transactions involving North Korea and mandate member states to refrain from issuing work permits to North Koreans.
In a confidential briefing to lawmakers on April 30, South Korea's National Intelligence Service indicated that Russia has provided North Korea with air defense missiles, electronic warfare equipment, drones, and technology for satellite launches. Furthermore, the NIS reported that 15,000 North Korean laborers have been dispatched to Russia under bilateral industrial cooperation initiatives, according to lawmakers present at the briefing.
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