North Korea remains silent despite the South Korean government’s announcement that it has decided to send a large number of troops to support Russia in the Ukraine war. On Friday, the 18th, the National Intelligence Service confirmed North Korea’s involvement in the Ukraine war, stating that 1,500 North Korean troops have already moved to Vladivostok, Russia.
However, as of 8 a.m. on Monday the 21st, North Korea has not offered any response to this announcement from the National Intelligence Service. The last report in North Korean media about the Ukraine war was from the Rodong Sinmun on the 12th, which included claims from a Russian military commander that Ukraine had used chemical weapons.
While North Korea has actively denied and labeled as “fabricated” international claims that it supplies weapons to Russia, it has not made any statements regarding the troop deployment (“파병”).
Russia has also maintained silence. Earlier this month, when rumors about the deployment of North Korean troops were raised by Ukrainian media, Russia dismissed these reports as “fake news.” However, since the National Intelligence Service’s announcement, there has been no official response from Russia.
The lack of response from North Korea likely suggests that the evidence presented by the National Intelligence Service is compelling, making denial challenging. Moreover, acknowledging the troop deployment offers no significant advantages. Additionally, revealing the deployment to its own population may be burdensome for North Korea. Even if the North Korean regime attempts to justify the deployment with various arguments, the residents sending their sons and daughters to a war zone would inevitably feel anxious.
(Edit: Koh Soo-yeon, Production: Digital News Editing Team)