North Korea Dispatches Over 10,000 Troops to Ukraine
Talks Held on International Affairs Including Ukraine and the Korean Peninsula
Sergey Shoigu, Secretary of the Russian Security Council, held talks with North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang on the 4th (local time). During the meeting, the two sides discussed the reconstruction of Russia's western Kursk region and the situation involving Ukraine and the Korean Peninsula. Shoigu's visit to North Korea comes two months after he delivered a personal letter from Russian President Vladimir Putin to Chairman Kim in March.
According to Russian state news agency RIA Novosti, the Russian Security Council announced in a statement that "Secretary Shoigu and Chairman Kim Jong Un discussed prospects for the reconstruction of Kursk region."
Russia has claimed that it fully recaptured parts of the Kursk region that had been temporarily occupied by Ukrainian forces at the end of April, and officially confirmed that North Korean troops participated in this operation. As a result, there has been speculation that North Korean troops may also be involved in subsequent reconstruction projects, and it has been reported that this issue was discussed in detail during the meeting.
The Security Council stated that "specific measures to commemorate the 'historic actions' of the North Korean troops who participated in the liberation of Kursk were also considered." Previously, on May 28, Secretary Shoigu met with North Korean State Security Minister Ri Changdae in Moscow and expressed "special gratitude for the achievements of the Korean (North Korean) troops who stood shoulder to shoulder with Russian forces to defend Kursk as if it were their own homeland."
The Security Council also added that "the memory of the North Korean soldiers who helped liberate Russia’s Kursk region will be made permanent."
It is known that since October last year, North Korea has dispatched a force of 11,000 to 12,000 troops to Russia, of whom about 4,000 have been killed or wounded. At the beginning of this year, an additional 3,000 troops were reportedly deployed.
During the meeting, issues contained in the message sent by Russian President Vladimir Putin to Chairman Kim were also a major topic of discussion. The Security Council stated that "Secretary Shoigu and Chairman Kim Jong Un paid special attention to discussing the issues included in the message."
In addition, the two sides exchanged views on a wide range of international issues, including the situation on the Ukrainian battlefield and the situation on the Korean Peninsula. They also reportedly discussed in depth ways to deepen and expand bilateral relations in accordance with the spirit of the "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty" signed last year.
The Russian Embassy in North Korea also stated on Telegram that "Chairman Kim welcomed Secretary Shoigu, and the talks were held in a friendly and mutually understanding atmosphere." The embassy added, "The two sides exchanged views on various issues of cooperation, as well as on the Ukraine crisis and the situation on the Korean Peninsula."
There is also speculation that Russia may have recently shared details of its direct negotiations with Ukraine with North Korea. As a large-scale prisoner exchange between the two countries is underway, there is growing attention on whether two North Korean prisoners of war believed to be held in Ukraine will be repatriated.
It is also possible that Chairman Kim's planned visit to Russia later this year was discussed during the meeting. Last month, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko stated, "We expect that Chairman Kim's visit to Russia will be coordinated through diplomatic channels."
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