SEOUL, August 11 (AJP) - North Korea's expanding role in Russia's war against Ukraine should raise security concerns in South Korea as Pyongyang gains battlefield experience and improves its weapons through cooperation with Moscow, Ukraine's top military commander has repeatedly warned.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday that Russia was preparing to station additional North Korean troops on its territory and had received more ballistic missiles from Pyongyang. Over the weekend, he said a decision had been made to deploy between 30,000 and 50,000 North Korean troops to Russia, though he did not disclose the source of the figure or give a timeline.
Zelenskyy warned that North Korea's participation in the war poses risks extending far beyond Ukraine because its soldiers and weapons are being tested and improved under real combat conditions."The greater the danger will later be for Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Philippines, and other countries in the region," Zelenskyy said in an address Sunday.
He has also called on South Korea and Japan to provide Ukraine with greater air defense support, arguing that helping Ukraine counter North Korean weapons could prevent Pyongyang from using the conflict to strengthen its military capabilities.
For South Korea, a key concern is the battlefield experience North Korean troops could bring back to the Korean Peninsula. North Korean forces fighting alongside Russia have gained exposure to drone warfare and other modern combat operations, potentially allowing Pyongyang to refine tactics for future conflicts.
The changing threat is already being reflected in military preparations in South Korea. The South Korean and U.S. militaries will conduct their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise from Aug. 17 to 27, with training covering threats including drones, GPS disruption and cyberattacks. U.S. military officials said North Korean troops returning from the Ukraine war have gained combat experience that must be taken into account in defending the peninsula.
North Korea has also supplied Russia with artillery ammunition, ballistic missiles and other weapons. Analysts have warned that Pyongyang could receive economic assistance and Russian military technology in return, potentially accelerating improvements to weapons that directly threaten South Korea.
North Korea previously deployed an estimated 14,000 to 15,000 troops to Russia, with its forces participating in fighting in the Kursk region. Pyongyang and Moscow publicly acknowledged the deployment in 2025.
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