The Ukrainian government has named three North Korean generals who it says are accompanying thousands of Korean People's Army (KPA) soldiers stationed in Russia to support the Russian invasion of Ukraine, reported Reuters.
In a pre-prepared statement to the UN Security Council yesterday, the Ukrainian delegation said the three generals were part of at least 500 North Korean officers in Russia.
Kiev's delegation said in the statement that plans call for North Korean soldiers to be divided into at least five military formations of about 2,000-3,000 troops each and integrated into Russian units to mask their presence.
According to South Korean intelligence, at least several generals may accompany the small number of North Korean soldiers already deployed to the combat zones.
Russia does not deny the intervention of North Korean troops in the war, which has been fought in Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022, according to Reuters.
After initially denying it, North Korea is now defending the idea that its troop deployment is in line with international law.
At the same meeting of the UN Security Council, Russian permanent representative to the organization Vasily Nebenzya said that Moscow's military interaction with North Korea does not violate international law and that Russia has the right to ask for help from its allies.
Ukraine has released the name of Colonel General Kim Yeon-bok, a high-ranking general commanding special forces, including the KPA's Eleventh Corps, also known as the “Storm” Corps, who South Korean intelligence says was sent to Russia.< /p>
The North Korea expert from the US-based Center “Stimson“ Michael Madden said Kim Yong-bok's role appeared to be larger and encompassed leadership of the Light Infantry Instruction and Training Bureau, which included the Eleventh Corps as well as the light infantry formations incorporated into KPA units and used for special missions of the General Intelligence Bureau, which is North Korea's main intelligence agency.
Colonel General Kim Yong-bok has appeared at several events with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un this year, including special forces exercises.
„This is a large and almost unprecedented deployment for the KPA," said Madden, who believes the general is in Russia as a representative of Kim Jong-un.
„As such, he performs a number of administrative tasks and is a liaison, and Kim Jong-un has sent him as his proxy until the presence of the KPA formation is fully realized,'' Madden said.
Kim Yong-bok may eventually hand over command to a subordinate KPA officer with the rank of colonel or major general, Madden added.
Other senior officers identified by Ukraine are Colonel General Yi Chan-ho, Deputy Chief of the General Staff and Chief of the General Intelligence Bureau, and Major General Shin Kum-chol, Chief of the General Operations Directorate.
As the head of North Korea's main intelligence service since 2022, Yi Chang-ho has been subject to sanctions by South Korea, which claims he led a major cyber attack to steal technology and foreign currency.
Like Kim Yong-bok, Yi Chang-ho has also accompanied Kim Jong-un to an unusually large number of events this year, including an inspection of a naval base on the east coast of the Korean peninsula.
Madden said Sin Kum-chol's career is unclear, but given his general rank, he could likely take command of North Korean troops in Russia after Kim Yong-bok and Yi Chang-ho leave.