U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed Thursday that around 8,000 North Korean troops have been moved to Russia’s Kursk region, and are expected to engage Ukrainian forces in the next few days. Blinken said these soldiers have received extensive training from Russian forces, including artillery operations, drone usage, and trench-clearing techniques.
Austin warned, “if these North Korean troops engage in combat or combat support operations against Ukraine, they would make themselves legitimate military targets.” South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul condemned the deployment, saying North Korean involvement “not only places the European continent but also the Korean Peninsula under threat.”
Jonas Ohman, head of the Lithuanian NGO Blue/Yellow, reported that North Korean troops have already engaged in their first skirmishes with Ukrainian forces on October 25 in Russia’s Kursk region. Ohman’s organization shared information allegedly sourced from Ukrainian intelligence and defense officials. “We have known for a long time that North Korea is being prepared to play a role in the war against Ukraine,” Ohman said, adding that signs of North Korean involvement emerged about six months ago. During that period, North Korean soldiers were reportedly training in Belarus with the Belarusian 103rd Airborne Brigade. Ohman also noted reports of North Korean personnel, including intelligence officers and engineers, in Russian-controlled Donetsk, where they were believed to be assisting in building fortifications.
To counteract the potential impact of North Korean troops, Ukraine has escalated its psychological warfare efforts. The Ukrainian intelligence agency recently posted Korean-language messages on social media platforms, including YouTube and Telegram, urging North Korean soldiers to defect rather than “meaninglessly die on the land of another country.” The campaign, part of Ukraine’s “I Want to Live” project, offers defectors food, shelter, and medical care.
“Surrender! Ukraine will give you shelter, food, and warmth.”
The “I Want to Live” project addressed North Korean soldiers, who were sent to fight alongside Russia against the Ukrainian Armed Forces, in Korean. pic.twitter.com/9WoqqpAPUY— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated) October 23, 2024
Andrii Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s Center for Combating Disinformation, confirmed plans to release further Korean-language content. South Korea, drawing on its expertise in countering North Korean propaganda, has pledged to send military observers to Ukraine to advise on psychological operations aimed at lowering the morale of North Korean troops.
As North Korean soldiers appear on the front lines, Pyongyang has also been showcasing advancements in its weapons technology. On Thursday, North Korea launched a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the Hwasong-19, which set a record for the longest flight time of a North Korean missile. Japanese defense officials reported that the missile reached an altitude of 7,688 kilometers and flew approximately 1,001 kilometers before landing in waters near Japan.
North Korea tested its new Hwasong-19 ICBM, claimed to be the “world’s strongest strategic missile,” on October 31, 2024.
The missile reached a 7,687.5 km altitude and traveled 1,001.2 km before landing in the Sea of Japan. pic.twitter.com/b1YZnmMh3W
— Clash Report (@clashreport) November 1, 2024
North Korean state media touted the test as a display of the missile’s strategic deterrence capabilities. Japan’s Defense Minister Gen Nakatani called the launch “a significant escalation.” South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff observed that the missile appeared to have been launched from a mobile, solid-fuel platform.
Secretary Blinken noted that additional military aid for Ukraine would be announced soon, Blinken also urged China to use its influence to contain North Korea’s actions.
