South Korea has detected North Korea’s plans to expand military support to Russia, including deploying troops and supplying advanced weapons like suicide drones, raising alarms over global security dynamics.
South Korea's military reported on Monday signs of North Korea preparing to send additional troops and weapons, including suicide drones, to Russia to support its war in Ukraine.
Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) stated Pyongyang had already supplied 240mm rocket launchers and 170mm self-propelled howitzers and is producing more suicide drones after Kim Jong Un oversaw a test last month.
"Kim Jong Un has prioritised suicide drones," a JCS official said, noting North Korea's intention to provide them to Russia. These drones, widely used in the Ukraine conflict, are being mass-produced under Kim's orders, with military education and strategies also updated.
According to Seoul, Washington, and Kyiv, around 12,000 North Korean troops are stationed in Russia, with 1,100 reported killed or injured, aligning with South Korea’s intelligence figures.
The JCS warned that Pyongyang's closer military ties with Moscow could bolster its conventional forces, potentially threatening Seoul. Along the Korean border, up to 10,000 North Korean soldiers have been fortifying areas with barriers and barbed wire, though numbers have dropped to several hundred.
Photos from the JCS allegedly show North Korean troops testing an electrified fence with a goat. The JCS also suggested the North might test-fire an intermediate-range hypersonic missile by year-end and continue sending "trash balloons" to the South in retaliation for propaganda leaflets sent by South Korean activists.
North Korea may stage provocations next year, including intercontinental missile launches or nuclear tests, to strengthen its negotiating position with the US, the JCS stated.
South Korea’s acting president, Han Duck-soo, spoke with US Forces Korea commander Xavier T. Brunson, stressing the need for a strong joint security posture. Brunson affirmed the importance of practical joint exercises to counter any threats.
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