The USA, Japan and South Korea strongly condemned the sending of North Korean troops to participate in the war against Ukraine.
This is stated in the joint statement of the leaders of the countries.
In the countryʼs statement, the deepening cooperation between Russia and North Korea is expanding the war in Ukraine. And the transfer of ammunition and ballistic missiles is a "particularly glaring" factor, given that Russia is a permanent member of the UN Security Council. The USA, Japan and South Korea support Ukraineʼs right to self-defense.
In addition, the countries reaffirmed their commitment to the "complete denuclearization" of the Korean Peninsula in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions. They promise to respond decisively to violations of the resolutions, as well as any attempts by the DPRK to undermine the global regime of nuclear non-proliferation.
The leaders condemned North Koreaʼs illegal methods of generating revenue, including weapons shipments, cyber attacks and sending workers abroad to finance its weapons programs. The US and Japan also assured South Korea of their support, and also called on North Korea to observe human rights and international law.
The participation of the military of North Korea in the war in Ukraine
On October 24, Ukrainian intelligence reported that the first soldiers from the DPRK had already arrived at the front — in the Kursk region. There are approximately 12 000 military personnel, including 500 officers and three generals.
The American newspaper The New York Times wrote on November 6 that the North Korean troops suffered their first losses in the battles against Ukraine. The North Koreans fought together with the Russian 810 separate brigade of marines. It is not clear when exactly the battle took place, but it was small and there the Koreans suffered their first losses.
According to the publicationʼs sources, Russia has assembled a group of 50 000 soldiers for the offensive in the Kursk region. The North Koreans are trained in artillery fire, basic infantry tactics and, most importantly, trench clearing, US officials say. This means that at least part of the military from North Korea will be used in frontal attacks on Ukrainian positions.
The participation of North Koreans in the battles against Ukraine was also confirmed in the USA and South Korea.
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