North Korea Responds To News Of Troops' Assistance To Russia, Affirms In Line With International Law

ILLUSTRATION/Russian Army/DOK TASS

JAKARTA - North Korea responded to the news that it was sending its troops to help Russia in the war in Ukraine. North Korea only talked about its actions in line with international law, but confirmed that the deployment of these troops was true.

In a statement released by North Korean news agency KCNA, Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Jong Gyu said the foreign ministry was not directly involved in matters handled by the defense ministry and would not comment directly on any deployment.

"If there is anything the world media is talking about, I think it is an action in accordance with international law regulations," he said.

North Korea and Russia have developed closer ties since the war began, including signing a new joint defense pact. Ukraine and Western countries previously accused North Korea of supplying weapons to Russia, but Pyongyang and Moscow denied it.

Ukraine, the United States, and other Western allies say they have evidence Pyongyang has sent thousands of troops to Russia for a possible deployment against Ukraine.

Previously, both Pyongyang and the Kremlin denied the report and considered it baseless rumors.

But when asked about the report on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin did not deny it.

Ukraine said North Korea's participation in the war, which began with Russia's massive invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, could be considered a crime of aggression under international law.

Putin said on Thursday Moscow and Pyongyang's "authority" entered into a joint defense agreement, accusing the West of escalating the war in Ukraine.

Ukrainian military intelligence said on Thursday that some 12,000 North Korean soldiers, including 500 officers and three generals, were already in Russia, and training was underway at five military bases.