South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun said North Korean military stationed in Russia are " mercenaries and cannon fodder", reported DPA and Yonhap.
He also accused North Korean leader Kim Jong-un of exploiting his armed forces "for an illegal war of aggression".
South Korea's intelligence service informed lawmakers yesterday that North Korea has sent around 3,000 soldiers to Russia to undergo training before being deployed to the battlefield in Ukraine.
"When military personnel are sent abroad, they are usually under the command of their own country and proudly carry out their activities in their military uniform, with their insignia and under their flag,'' South Korea's defense minister told a parliamentary hearing. However, the North Korean military is disguised in Russian uniforms and operates under Russian command without any operational authority, Kim added.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said yesterday that Washington has seen "evidence" that there are North Korean military personnel in Russia. "It remains to be seen exactly what they are doing there,", he said.
If the intention of Pyongyang's military personnel, however, "is to participate in this war on the side of Russia, that is a very, very serious problem," Austin said, adding that it would have far-reaching consequences, without elaborating. details.