South Korea said today that it believes North Korea has sent troops to Russia, posing a "serious security threat" to the international community, to which Seoul will respond with all available means, said a statement from the South Korean presidential office, quoted by Reuters.
Separately, South Korea's spy agency said North Korea is involved in the war in Ukraine and has decided to send 12,000 troops, including a special forces unit, Yonhap news agency reported.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has called an emergency security meeting with key intelligence, military and national security officials to discuss the involvement of North Korean troops in Russia's war against Ukraine, the statement said.< /p>
"The participants united around the opinion that the current situation, in which the rapprochement between Russia and North Korea has gone beyond the transfer of military supplies to the actual deployment of troops, poses a serious threat to the security of not only our country, but also the international community", the message also says.
South Korean officials have previously said it is likely true that a number of North Korean troops are in Russia participating in its war with Ukraine, but have not provided a clear answer on the nature or scale of such a deployment, Reuters notes.< /p>
President Yun Suk-yeol's office said South Korea, along with its allies, has been closely monitoring the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia since the initial stage. However, it did not provide any intelligence to support the troop deployment claim. It is not specified whether there is information that North Korean soldiers have participated in hostilities.