North Korean soldiers are likely dying for Putin in Ukraine, Seoul says

North Korea is likely sending its soldiers to fight and die in Ukraine alongside Russian troops, Seoul’s defense minister, Kim Yong-hyun, said Tuesday.

“As Russia and North Korea have signed a mutual treaty akin to a military alliance, the possibility of such a deployment is highly likely,” South Korea’s defense chief told the country’s parliament, adding that more of Pyongyang’s soldiers are likely to be deployed.

“The relations between Russia and North Korea are evolving to be almost as close as a military alliance,” he said. “As such, more North Korean troops could be deployed in the war, from how we look at it.”

Russia and North Korea have deepened their ties following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, culminating in a defense pact signed between the two countries in June when President Vladimir Putin visited the Asian country for the first time in 25 years.

The pact, which represents a sign of the strongest partnership between the two since the Cold War, envisions mutual military assistance between Moscow and Pyongyang if either is attacked.

The move added to concerns in the West that North Korea is providing Moscow with munitions to wage its war in Ukraine in exchange for economic assistance and technology transfers.

South Korea’s defense chief also corroborated Ukrainian media reports that North Korean soldiers have been killed by Kyiv’s troops as they fend off Putin’s aggression.

“We believe there have been injuries and fatalities among North Korean troops in Ukraine,” he said.

Both Russia and Ukraine have used foreign fighters in their ranks as they face shortages of troops.