The world is watching with alarm as North Korea prepares to send 10,000 troops to support Russia’s war in Ukraine. South Korea has called it a “grave security threat,” not just for the region but for the entire international community. President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea urgently convened top officials on Oct. 18, following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s revelation that Pyongyang is gearing up to send soldiers, including specialists, to fight alongside Moscow.
“The closer ties between Russia and North Korea have escalated beyond mere military supplies—now it’s boots on the ground. This is a global threat,” South Korea’s presidential office declared, underlining the seriousness of the situation. Until now, South Korea has only provided humanitarian aid to Ukraine, though it has reportedly supplied artillery shells indirectly through the U.S.
This deepening Russia-North Korea military cooperation has set off alarm bells worldwide. Zelensky didn’t mince words during a press conference in Brussels on Oct. 17, saying, “We know about 10,000 soldiers from North Korea they are preparing to send to fight against us.” He warned that this deployment could mark the “first step to a World War.”
While the U.S. has yet to confirm the actual presence of North Korean troops in Russia, the White House acknowledged that it could signal a troubling escalation in Russia’s reliance on Pyongyang. According to intelligence reports, some North Korean officers may already be in occupied parts of Ukraine, bolstering Russia’s military efforts.
The grim reality is that North Korea’s involvement in the war has already gone beyond weapons—such as ballistic missiles and artillery shells. Now, with the potential dispatch of thousands of North Korean soldiers, the war is taking on a dangerous new dimension.
