North Korea Essentially Admits Deploying Troops to Russia, Says "If Such a Thing Happens, It Complies with International Norms"

North Korea effectively acknowledged the 'North Korean military deployment to Russia' on the 25th. This is the first time North Korea has expressed its position regarding related announcements from the South Korean government and the international community.

According to a report by the Korean Central News Agency on the same day, Kim Jong-gyu, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs in charge of Russia, said regarding "North Korea's deployment to the Ukraine war," "If such a thing exists, I believe it would be an action in accordance with international legal norms."

Deputy Minister Kim responded to a question from a Korean Central News Agency reporter by saying this and emphasized, "I believe there will definitely be forces that want to portray it as illegal."

The so-called independent Russian media outlet "Astra" posted on its Telegram channel on the 22nd (local time) a video showing soldiers who appear to be North Korean troops standing outside a building.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

At the same time, he said, "Our Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not directly involve itself in what the Ministry of Defense does, nor do we feel the need to separately confirm this."

On the 18th, the National Intelligence Service announced that "North Korea has decided to deploy troops to support the Russian military invading Ukraine, and about 1,500 personnel are training in the Russian Far East." On the 23rd, it reported to the National Assembly that an additional 1,500 personnel had arrived in Russia, and the total deployment size is expected to reach 10,000 by the end of the year.