Kim Jong-un is likely to seek nuclear technology from Putin…

Kim warned that “risks to the security of the Korean Peninsula may increase”

It is North Korea ” very likely to ask“from Moscow advanced technology related to nuclear weapons in exchange for the deployment of North Korean troops in Russia’s war against Ukraine, South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun said, quoted by CNN .

North Korea might ask the transfer of Russian technology related to tactical nuclear weaponsthe advancement of North Korea’s intercontinental ballistic missiles, reconnaissance satellites and nuclear submarines, Kim said, speaking through an interpreter alongside Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

The deal would mirror Russia’s with Iran, in which Moscow shares nuclear-related technology with Tehran in exchange for weapons and military aid for the war in Ukraine, the House said. White in September.

Kim said he ultimately did not believe the deployment of North Korean troops would give Russia “the possibility of a war on the Korean Peninsula,” but could lead to “increased threats to the security of the Korean Peninsula.”

South Korea has raised the alarm about the deployment of North Korean troops in Russia for weeks and briefed NATO allies on troop movements on Monday. A source familiar with the matter said South Korea has dramatically increased information sharing with the alliance in recent weeks as its concerns have grown about North Korea’s moves.

The US independently confirmed for the first time last week that thousands of North Korean soldiers had been sent to Russia for military training. The US initially said there were only 3,000, but this week revised that number to 10,000 saying 13,000 had been sent.

It is not yet clear how useful the North Koreans will be to the Russians on the battlefield. Many of the troops deployed are special forces, CNN reported Tuesday, but North Korea’s military has not been involved in an actual war in more than 70 years. Intelligence officials believe that the North Korean government sent them largely to gain combat experience.

Kim, South Korea’s defense minister, did not directly answer a question on Wednesday about whether South Korea would begin providing military aid to the Ukrainians to help fight the North Koreans. , which would go against the South’s long-standing policy of not arming nations in times of war. .

But he said South Korean military analysts could be sent to watch the North Koreans fight the Russians to get a better idea of ​​the readiness of the North Korean military.