North Korea soldiers in the Ukraine war: South Korea’s mistakes as a trigger?

Putin met North Korea’s Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui for talks in the Kremlin on Monday. “Today is a holiday for us, and meeting good friends on holidays is a good tradition,” Putin said in greeting. It was a national holiday in Russia. Choe last visited the Kremlin in January. A few days ago it became known that thousands of North Korean soldiers were stationed in the border area with Ukraine. Choe said in a meeting with her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on Friday that North Korea would help Russia in the war until victory.

South Korea’s “diplomatic mistake”: How much did it contribute to North Korea’s Russia alliance?

Now she conveyed greetings from ruler Kim Jong-un to Putin. North Korea is internationally isolated – also because of its nuclear weapons tests. North Korea has also come under international criticism for supplying arms to Russia. Russia, in turn, is under sanctions because of its war of aggression against Ukraine.

An origin of the Russia-North Korea alliance can also be seen in South Korea. Like the South Korean medium Hani writes in an editorial that the government in Seoul made a “diplomatic mistake.” When he took office, President Yoon Seok-yeol emphasized “values ​​diplomacy” and made it clear that he would support North Korea, China and is hostile to Russia. As a symbolic measure, South Korea sent 600,000 rounds of 155mm artillery shells to Ukraine. The deal took place across the United States between spring and summer last year. This did not go unnoticed in Moscow: Russia subsequently warned South Korea that it would “change its approach to the Korean peninsula that has existed for over 30 years.”

West sees North Korea soldiers in Russia as a massive escalation of the Ukraine war

Afterwards, North Korea and Russia quickly began to pursue diplomatic action. In June there was Putin’s visit and the agreement on a strategic partnership between the two countries, which also provides for mutual military assistance. Loud Hani In South Korea, “many citizens are very concerned that the ’embers of war’ that began in Europe will spread to the Korean peninsula.”

The military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang benefits both rulers in their military ambitions. (Archive image) © Kristina Kormilitsyna/Pool Sputnik Kremlin/AP/dpa

Western states have described the recent deployment of North Korean soldiers to Russia as a massive escalation of the conflict. They are said to be in the Kursk region of western Russia. Kyiv fears that they will soon be deployed in Ukraine. This is considered a violation of UN sanctions against North Korea.

Saber rattling in Pyongyang: North Korea is testing intercontinental ballistic missiles

North Korea’s threatening behavior has recently become more aggressive. The General Staff in Seoul said on Tuesday that at around 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday (local time, Monday 11:30 p.m. CET) it had detected in real time the launch of “several short-range ballistic missiles” towards the waters east of the Korean Peninsula. “In preparation for further launches, our military has increased surveillance and vigilance,” it said. According to South Korean information, the missiles flew around 400 kilometers. The General Staff in Seoul said information would be exchanged with Washington and Tokyo. Japan also confirmed the rocket launch.

Insights into Kim Jong-un’s empire: everyday life in North Korea

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