On Tuesday, UK Defense Secretary John Healy stated in the UK Parliament that North Korea has likely begun sending troops to assist Russia, a significant shift from the previous reports that merely hinted at “movements.”
Citing information from Reuters and Sky News, Healy told the House of Commons, “In a concerning new development, it is now highly likely that the transfer of hundreds of combat troops from North Korea to Russia has begun.” Healy described the involvement of North Korean soldiers in Russia’s invasion of European territory as both shocking and urgent.
On Friday, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer addressed the reports, stating that if they are accurate, it suggests “a level of desperation.”
Sky News noted that UK cabinet officials had only referred to reports of North Korea’s troop dispatch to Russia, making Healy’s statement the most definitive acknowledgment yet of the likelihood.
Meanwhile, following the 9th Korea-UK Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue in Seoul, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae Yul and UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy issued a joint statement condemning North Korea’s “unlawful arms transfers” and troops deployment to support Russia in its invasion of Ukraine.
Lammy also met with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, where he warned that Russia’s actions, including allegedly offering counterfeit passports to entice North Korea’s troop dispatch, pose a severe threat to security in Europe and Korea. He pledged that the UK would closely cooperate with South Korea to address these dangers.
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