Minister Kim Holds Press Conference After SCM at U.S. Department of Defense
"Analyzing North Korean Military Combat Trends for Intelligence Use"
Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun stated that sending observation or battlefield analysis teams to Ukraine is the "military's obvious duty."
On the 30th (local time), at the U.S. Department of Defense (Washington D.C.), Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun (left in the photo) met with U.S. Secretary of Defense Austin (right in the photo) during the 56th Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) between Korea and the U.S. Photo by Ministry of National Defense
Minister Kim made this remark in response to a related question during a joint press conference with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin after the South Korea-U.S. Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) held at the U.S. Department of Defense near Washington DC on the 30th (local time). He emphasized, "Not doing so would be neglect of duty." He added, "Observation and battlefield analysis teams have been consistently sent during various wars, including the Iraq War. Especially in the case of the Ukraine war, since North Korean troops are participating, it is important to analyze the combat trends of the North Korean military well and utilize that information as useful intelligence for our military in the future."
Preparing Countermeasures as Trash Balloon Crosses Red Line
Minister Kim stated that North Korea's provocations involving trash and waste balloons sent toward South Korea have crossed the 'red line' set by our government, and that countermeasures are being prepared. Regarding the release of waste balloons by North Korea, he said, "I shared the same opinion with Secretary Austin today that this is clearly a violation of the armistice agreement," and pointed out, "It is a provocative act that threatens the safety of our citizens beyond just violating the armistice agreement." Minister Kim explained, "We have been monitoring and tracking the balloons to confirm their landing points, then checking for harmful substances and collecting them, which we believe is the best way to ensure the safety of our people. However, this has now almost crossed the line," adding, "Therefore, we are preparing responses through various methods." This implies that they are preparing alternative countermeasures beyond the existing principle of 'collecting and inspecting fallen balloons.'
On the same day, Minister Kim strongly urged North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un to "immediately withdraw the deployment of troops to Russia," criticizing, "The deployment is an act that can be seen as anti-humanitarian, anti-peace, and a war crime." He also expressed concerns that Russia's advanced military technology support to North Korea due to the troop deployment could increase security threats on the Korean Peninsula.
North Korea Likely to Demand Advanced Military Technology from Russia
Minister Kim predicted, "North Korea is highly likely to demand advanced military technology support from Russia as a condition for troop deployment," citing examples such as the enhancement of tactical nuclear weapons, intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), reconnaissance satellites, and nuclear submarines.
Secretary Austin said that some of the approximately 10,000 troops North Korea sent to Russia's Far East for training have moved to the Kursk region of Russia, which is close to Ukraine. When asked when North Korean troops are expected to be deployed in combat in Kursk, he replied, "We need to watch whether they will be deployed to the battlefield," while expressing increasing concern about the possibility.
U.S.: North Korea Provided Russian Military Uniforms and Equipment
He also explained that North Korean troops are wearing Russian military uniforms and have been provided with Russian equipment. He added, "Putin (Russian President) will not win in Ukraine even if he receives more help from North Korea," and said, "This very concerning development only highlights the importance of South Korea and our alliance." Secretary Austin responded to speculation that North Korea's troop deployment might prompt other countries to send forces to support Ukraine by saying, "This (North Korean troop deployment) could encourage other countries to take action, different kinds of actions. I won't speculate specifically on what will happen, but there are various possibilities."
High Possibility of North Korean Troops Being Deployed in Combat
When asked whether weapons supplied by the U.S. to Ukraine could be used by Ukrainian forces against North Korean troops, he said, "If North Korean troops fight alongside Russian forces in this war and attack Ukrainian forces, the Ukrainian forces have the right to defend themselves, and they will do so with weapons provided by us and other countries." He added, "If they (North Korean troops) fight alongside Russian forces against Ukrainian forces, they are co-belligerents. As a result, it is expected that North Korean troops will be killed or wounded."
Secretary Austin predicted that since Russian President Putin has already lost many troops in the war and does not want the Russian people to know the scale of troop losses if a mobilization order is issued, "there is a high possibility that North Korean troops will be deployed in combat." He emphasized, "That does not necessarily have to happen. President Putin can stop it. He is the one who started the war and brought it here, and he holds the key to ending it. If the war does not end immediately, losses will occur, but this is avoidable."
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