[2024 National Audit] Kim Yong-hyun: Possibility of North Korean Soldiers' Deaths in Ukraine War

At Ministry of National Defense Audit, Military Authorities Confirm for the First Time
"High Possibility of Additional Troop Deployment"

Military authorities have identified that North Korea has deployed troops to Ukraine. This is the first time the military authorities have confirmed the death of North Korean soldiers on the Russia-Ukraine battlefield. The speculation about North Korean troop deployment, which was raised following the signing of the 'Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty' between North Korea and Russia in June, has been virtually confirmed.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

At the National Assembly defense committee hearing held on the 8th at the Ministry of National Defense in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, National Assembly Defense Committee Chairman Seong Il-jong asked, "There are reports that among the 20 or so people killed by a missile attack by the Ukrainian army, six were North Korean soldiers. Is this true?" Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun responded, "It is highly likely to be true."

Minister Kim stated at the hearing held at the Ministry of National Defense in Yongsan, Seoul, that reports from Ukrainian media about the deaths of North Korean officers and soldiers are "highly likely to be true based on various circumstances." He added, "Regarding the dispatch of (North Korean) regular troops, since Russia and North Korea have established a mutual agreement almost equivalent to a military alliance, the possibility of additional troop deployment is very high."

Earlier, on the 4th (local time), the Ukrainian media Kyiv Post reported, citing intelligence sources, that among the 20 or so people killed by a missile attack by the Ukrainian army on the 3rd, six were North Korean officers. Separately from the deceased, it was reported that more than three North Korean soldiers were injured.

It was reported that among the 20 or so people killed by the Ukrainian army's missile attack, six were North Korean officers. Additionally, more than three North Korean soldiers were reported injured. On the same day, 'Kremlin Secret,' a Telegram channel claiming to be a Russian patriotic organization, stated in a message, "There was a missile attack on a testing site where allied North Korean officers were present," adding, "Among the 20 or so dead, six were North Korean officers, and three injured North Korean soldiers were transferred to Moscow."

The government has not issued any special statement regarding the report but is closely monitoring the troop deployment situation. Shin Won-sik, Director of the National Security Office, during his tenure as Minister of National Defense, responded in an interview with Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun in July to the question of whether North Korean troops had been deployed to Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine, saying, "It can be considered as one option," and "It is believed that they are not combat units."

Article 4 of the treaty between Russia and North Korea states that "If either North Korea or Russia is subjected to armed invasion and enters a state of war, the other country shall provide military support in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter and domestic law." According to the National Intelligence Service, Russia has received over one million artillery shells from North Korea and has launched ballistic missiles such as the KN-23 and KN-24 multiple times toward Ukraine.