South Korean media claimed on Monday that Seoul could send military and intelligence personnel to Ukraine after the North dispatched troops to support Russia in the war.
A report said the government and military of South Korea "are reviewing a plan to send an appropriate number of personnel, including intelligence officers [specialized in North Korea] and experts in enemy tactics," to Ukraine, citing a South Korean intelligence official.
South Korean personnel in Ukraine would interrogate or provide interpretation services if North Korean soldiers were captured by Ukrainian forces, the report said. They would also provide Kyiv with information about the North's military tactics, doctrine, and operations.
The Defense Ministry of the South said at a press briefing later on Monday that it will review measures with "an open attitude" regarding possible supply of lethal weapons to Ukraine. Seoul has provided humanitarian aid to Kyiv during the Russia-Ukraine War.
The report and remarks from South Korea came after the country's intelligence agency on Friday claimed that North Korea, ruled by Kim Jong Un, had decided to dispatch 12,000 special forces troops to support Russia, with 1,500 of them already in the Russian Far East.
On Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that North Korea has "an intention to prepare 10,000 soldiers from different branches of the armed forces" to fight alongside Russia, warning the North's involvement could be "the first step to a world war."
North Korea has reportedly sent thousands of containers of munitions to Russia. Last month, Ukraine's military spy chief said the North's support for Russian President Vladimir Putin's war effort is the "worst problem" Kyiv is facing from Moscow's allies.
The Kremlin on Monday refused to answer questions on Russia's alleged plan to use North Korean soldiers in its so-called "special military operation" against Ukraine, claiming "we see a lot of contradictory information" from South Korea and its ally the United States.
"North Korea is our close neighbor, our partner, and we are developing our relations in all areas," said Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for the Kremlin, according to state media. "This should not worry anyone, because this cooperation is not directed against third countries."
The enhanced military cooperation between North Korea and Russia has become an issue of mutual concern for South Korea and NATO. The U.S.-led alliance has been supporting Ukraine since Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago.
During a phone conversation with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Monday, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol denounced the military alignment between Moscow and Pyongyang, saying his country will actively take "phased measures" in response.
Yoon's office said the South Korean president had told Rutte he would promptly send officials to facilitate information sharing and take measures to strengthen security cooperation.
Pyongyang has neither denied nor confirmed allegations regarding troop deployments in Russia. Newsweek has reached out to the North Korean embassy in China for comment by email.
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