US Defense: Evidence Shows North Korean Troops Are in Russia

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin stated that evidence has been obtained showing North Korean troops are in Russia.

Lloyd Austin, U.S. Secretary of Defense. [Photo by Yonhap News]

According to major foreign media on the 23rd (local time), Secretary Austin met with reporters in Rome, Italy, and said, "There is evidence that DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) troops are in Russia." This is the first time the U.S. government has officially acknowledged the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia.

When asked about North Korea's intention behind the deployment, Austin said, "What exactly are they doing? We have to wait and see. This is an issue we need to sort out."

So far, the U.S. and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) have expressed strong concerns based on the assumption by Ukraine and our government that North Korean troops have been deployed to Russia. However, they have maintained a stance of "unable to confirm" the facts.

Vedant Patel, Deputy Spokesperson of the U.S. Department of State, said at a briefing on the 22nd regarding the National Intelligence Service's announcement of North Korean troop deployment, "The United States must go through its own processes and assessments before publicly stating that it is observing something in a specific policy area."