In an unexpected twist that has the international community on edge, South Korea has sounded the alarm, demanding the immediate withdrawal of North Korean troops sent to Russia to bolster Moscow’s war efforts in Ukraine. The presence of approximately 1,500 North Korean elite special forces, known as the “Storm Corps,” has triggered waves of shock, dismay, and outrage in Seoul, with officials decrying this brazen act as a gross violation of global peace agreements.
South Korea’s Vice Foreign Minister, Kim Hong-kyun, minced no words, expressing Seoul’s “grave concerns” to Russian Ambassador Georgiy Zinoviev. In a fiery rebuke, he stressed that such a military alliance between North Korea and Russia not only violates multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions but also threatens the very fabric of regional security. The deployment of troops, Kim emphasized, marks a perilous escalation that could have far-reaching consequences for global stability.
Adding fuel to the fire, satellite imagery released by Seoul’s intelligence agency confirmed the arrival of these North Korean soldiers in Vladivostok aboard Russian military vessels. These forces are expected to join the front lines in Ukraine after a brief acclimatization period. North Korea, already notorious for clandestine support to Russia in the form of weapons, has now crossed a new threshold by sending boots on the ground.
Kremlin officials have remained tight-lipped about the use of North Korean troops, with spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stating only that Moscow would continue to develop relations with Pyongyang. This nonchalant attitude has sent shockwaves through South Korea and its allies, heightening concerns that the world is witnessing a dangerous alignment of powers hostile to international order.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who was in Seoul on Monday, blasted Russia’s actions as “reckless and illegal,” vowing that London would stand shoulder to shoulder with Seoul in addressing this alarming situation. Meanwhile, NATO has been urged to take immediate countermeasures, with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol calling for swift action against the burgeoning Russia-North Korea cooperation.
As the dust continues to settle, the world watches closely, holding its breath to see whether this bold gambit by North Korea and Russia will plunge the conflict in Ukraine into even darker waters. One thing is clear: this unholy alliance has ignited a fuse that may be difficult to extinguish.
