A North Korean representative at the United Nations said that reports of Pyongyang sending troops to help Russia in its war against Ukraine were “groundless.” Pyongyang and Moscow have grown closer since the Russian invasion, with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visiting Russia in September last year. File Photo by Gavriil Grigorov/Sputnik/Kremlin Pool/EPA-EFE
SEOUL, Oct. 22 (UPI) — A North Korean representative to the United Nations denied reports that Pyongyang had dispatched thousands of troops to aid Russia in its war against Ukraine, calling the claims “groundless” amid a growing international outcry.
The comment was the first from a North Korean official since Seoul’s spy agency said last week that Pyongyang had decided to send some 12,000 troops in support of Russia’s war effort. The National Intelligence Service said it had evidence that North Korea had already dispatched 1,500 special forces troops to Vladivostok through a Russian navy transport ship.
“As for the so-called military cooperation with Russia, my delegation does not feel any need for comment on such groundless stereotyped rumors aimed at smearing the image of the DPRK and undermining the legitimate, friendly and cooperative relations between two sovereign states,” the North Korean representative said Monday during a session of the U.N. General Assembly First Committee on disarmament and international security.
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is the official name of North Korea.
The remarks came in response to a Ukrainian envoy’s comment that North Korea was planning to send “large-scale” troops to help Russia’s war efforts in Ukraine.
Moscow also refused to confirm the presence of North Korean troops, saying Monday that there were “conflicting” reports.
“We see a lot of contradictory information: the South Koreans claim one thing, then the Pentagon says they have no confirmation of such statements,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at a press briefing.
“So there is a lot of conflicting information,” Peskov said. “This is probably how it should be treated.”
The spokesman was apparently referring to comments by U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who told reporters at a news conference in Naples, Italy, on Saturday that he could not confirm the North Korean troop deployment but called the reports a “serious” issue.
In a separate U.N. Security Council meeting on Monday, South Korean Ambassador to the U.N. Hwang Joon-kook condemned the “alarming development” of North Korean troops aiding Russia.
“We are well aware that North Korea is a habitual violator of international norms and Security Council resolutions,” Hwang said. “However, recent actions by Pyongyang have even surprised us.”
Citing the National Intelligence Service report, Hwang said that transported soldiers were supplied with Russian military uniforms and Russian weapons and given false identification.
“This means a qualitative change in North Korea’s involvement in Russia’s war against Ukraine,” Hwang said. “By dispatching a large number of combatants, North Korea will likely become an active belligerent in warfare.”
“North Korea will expect a generous payoff from Moscow in return for its troop contribution,” he added. “It could be either military or financial assistance; it could be nuclear weapons-related technology.”
South Korea’s National Security Council convened an emergency meeting on Tuesday and said it would work closely with the international community to “resolutely deal” with the military alliance between North Korea and Russia.
“The government will implement step-by-step countermeasures in accordance with the progress of Russia-DPRK military cooperation following North Korea’s dispatch of combat troops,” the NCS said in a statement.
Russia and North Korea have drawn closer since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, with the two isolated regimes signing a mutual defense pact in June.
The NIS said last week that North Korea has provided more than 13,000 containers of artillery, missiles, anti-tank rockets and other deadly weapons to Russia on more than 70 occasions since August last year.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Monday on X that North Korea sending troops to Russia would mark a “significant escalation” in the conflict. Britain and South Korea also released a joint statement condemning North Korea’s arms transfers and its reported troop deployments.
“We take note that the security of the Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic are more closely intertwined than ever, and commit ourselves to closely monitoring the situation and actively pursuing necessary measures together with the international community to deter further unlawful, reckless and destabilizing behavior,” the statement said.
On Sunday evening, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for a “strong response” from international partners to North Korean involvement in Russia’s war.
“We must counter this. We cannot let evil grow,” he said in a video address.