South Korea vows to respond to North Korea aiding Russia

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

It has been confirmed that North Korea has deployed troops to aid Russia in its ongoing war with Ukraine. The Kursk border has been Russia’s weak zone, and as of Monday, Oct. 21, that is where North Korea’s soldiers have been located. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has stated that this allocation of troops represents “a dangerous expansion of Russia’s war.”  Rutte has also argued that Russia utilizes this aid the way they exemplify “a sign of Putin’s growing desperation.”

It has been reported numerous times that Ukraine is already struggling to hold back Russia. This war raised tensions in Europe because it was the biggest war since World War II. Another consequence is the uprising of geopolitical tensions in the Korean Peninsula and the Indo-Pacific region.

In response to North Korea’s move to aid Russia, South Korea has vowed it will respond, potentially by supplying South Korea to Ukraine. The President of South Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol, stated that they would not stand by and do nothing when faced with “Provocation that threatens global security beyond the Korean Peninsula and Europe.” Before this announcement, South Korea had engaged in trading weapons with the United States (US) and neighboring allies. 

Rutte has also stated, “Over 600,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded in Putin’s war, and he is unable to sustain his assault in Ukraine without foreign support…This is because the Ukranians are fighting back with courage, resilience, and ingenuity.” Ukraine is led by its President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who has fought relentlessly since the beginning against Russia’s attacks.

So far, the US has confirmed that 3,000 North Korean troops have been spotted in Russia, with an estimation of an additional 10,000 more by December. Russia has denounced these claims, while Ukraine has supplied footage of the extra soldiers. 

In recent months, North and South Korea have grown increasingly distant from each other as North Korea has been creating ties with Russia. This has led to the US, Japan, South Korea, and others to form a multinational team to “monitor the enforcement of sanctions against Pyongyang.” The US Department of Treasury has said that some of the ballistics used by Russia were from North Korea.

North Korea may also benefit from this alliance. Pyongyang will receive funding from Russia to begin building a nuclear force. There is also speculation that it will get further access to Russian technology regarding military structure and weaponry. 

Although the exposure the North Koreans are gaining by being in the West could be dangerous, as the West is far more welcoming, this could also backfire because, since 2006, North Korea has been under the United Nations Security Council. These sanctions are aimed at preventing Pyongyang’s development of nuclear weapons with a committee that will look into violations.

Boris Pistorius, Germany's Defence Minister, said, “It's a kind of escalation and it shows us a very important, a very important aspect. International conflicts are approaching very rapidly.” While British Defence Secretary, John Healey said this is “not just a concern about the potential for an escalation of conflict in Europe. There is an indivisible link with security concerns in the Indo-Pacific as well.”