If North Korean Troops Join Battle in Ukraine, They Risk Becoming Combat Targets, Austin Warns

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin warned that North Korean troops could face lethal consequences from American weapons if they engage in combat.

Austin stated that if North Korean troops join Russian forces in combat against Ukraine, Ukrainian forces have the right to defend themselves using weapons supplied by the United States and other allies.

He went on to emphasize, “If they are fighting alongside — Russian soldiers, they are co-belligerents, and you have every reason to believe that those kinds of things will happen, that they will be killed and wounded as a result of battle.”

 However, he also noted that he would not make any assumptions about North Korean troop involvement. He mentioned that approximately 10,000 North Korean soldiers have entered eastern Russia, with some relocating near the Ukrainian front. “We’re seeing them outfitted with Russian uniforms and provided with Russian equipment. And I am increasingly concerned that the Kremlin plans to use these North Korean soldiers to support Russia’s combat operations in Russia’s Kursk region near the border with Ukraine. And let me remind you that Russia signed on to the UN Security Council resolutions agreeing not to provide military assistance to North Korea,” he said.

Austin urged North Korean leadership to halt actions that could destabilize both Europe and the Indo-Pacific, calling on them to withdraw their forces from Russia. He warned that this deployment could prolong or intensify the conflict in Ukraine.

He further addressed the potential for NATO or other forces to be deployed to Ukraine, noting that North Korea’s troop deployment might lead other nations to respond in various ways. While he declined to speculate on specific outcomes, he acknowledged various possible actions.