▲ Cosmin Dobran, director for peace, partnerships and crisis management at the European External Action Service (EEAS), speaks during an interview with Yonhap News Agency in Seoul on Sept. 8, 2026. (Yonhap)
▲ North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (R) chats with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing on Sept. 3, 2025, in this photo released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency the next day. They were in the Chinese capital to attend a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of Japan's surrender and the end of World War II. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
▲ North Korean leader Kim Jong-un places a flower at the grave for a soldier killed in action as he attends a ceremony for the dedication of the Memorial Museum of Combat Feats at the Overseas Military Operations, which honors its troops who died while fighting alongside Russia in the war with Ukraine, in Pyongyang on April 26, 2026, in this photo released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency the next day. In the opening ceremony timed with the first anniversary of the "liberation" of the Kursk region from Ukraine forces, Kim stressed the need to strengthen Pyongyang-Moscow ties into a "powerful bulwark." (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
▲ President Lee Jae Myung (C) poses for a photo with Ursula von der Leyen (R), president of the European Commission, and Antonio Costa, president of the European Council, during their summit in Brussels on June 10, 2026. (Yonhap)

By Oh Seok-min

SEOUL, Sept. 9 (Yonhap) -- North Korea and Russia are likely to continue military cooperation even after the war in Ukraine ends, a senior European Union (EU) official has warned, describing their ties as a "structural relationship."

Cosmin Dobran, director for peace, partnerships and crisis management at the European External Action Service (EEAS), made the remarks during an interview with Yonhap News Agency in Seoul on Tuesday on the sidelines of the Seoul Defense Dialogue.

"What is happening between Russia and North Korea is quite worrying, and it is clear that this is not only one action or two actions, but this is something that is much more structural," Dobran said. "I think the treaty that they agreed goes beyond this war."

In June 2024, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty, under which North Korea has deployed troops and provided conventional weapons to support Russia's war with Ukraine.

Dobran said the deepening ties between Pyongyang and Moscow could "embolden North Korea to do more negative actions," including further missile launches.

Asked about the possibility of North Korea sending additional troops to Russia, Dobran said there are "signs" that the presence of North Korean troops could increase as the Russia-Ukraine war continues, though he did not elaborate.

"There were North Korean soldiers fighting against Ukraine. That's a fact that nobody can deny," he said. "If you follow this pattern, I think everybody can expect that similar actions can happen."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in July that North Korea had decided to send an additional 30,000 troops to Russia, while Pyongyang has flatly denied the claim.

According to South Korean military authorities, Pyongyang continues to prepare for a possible additional deployment, though there are currently no signs that another deployment is imminent.

South Korean authorities estimate that North Korea has sent more than 16,000 troops to Russia since 2024, with many believed to have suffered casualties.

"One of the tools that the European Union uses is sanctions," Dobran said. "There are already a number of sanctions packages that were approved, but we are now in the preparation for the next sanctions."

The official said sanctions have "absolutely" had an impact, citing EU and Group of Seven (G7) measures targeting Russia's so-called shadow fleet as an example of how sanctions have affected Russia's ability to wage the war against Ukraine.

Dobran also stressed the importance of closer security cooperation between South Korea and the EU.

"Obviously, there is the transfer of technology, and now we have North Korean soldiers in Europe, which is quite a negative development. It shows that security in the Indo-Pacific and Europe are quite interlinked," the director said.

Dobran said the EU is closely exchanging information with South Korea on North Korea-Russia cooperation and that the pace of such exchanges should be increased while stressing the need for like-minded countries "to stick together" and come up with "concrete ideas" to address growing insecurity.

South Korea and the EU have already begun negotiations on a bilateral information security pact, Dobran said, expressing hope for tangible results "before the end of this year," though he acknowledged there is no fixed timetable.

During a June summit in Brussels, President Lee Jae Myung, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa agreed to launch negotiations on the pact, which is expected to facilitate the safe exchange of sensitive information and support cooperation in defense, industry and research.

Speaking of tensions in the Middle East and the Strait of Hormuz, the director stressed that the key issue is protecting freedom of navigation and the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, or UNCLOS, which sets out the international legal framework governing maritime navigation.

"We need to make sure that there are no taxes, no fees, no special arrangements when it comes to the free passage of vessels that carry oil from that region," Dobran said.

The EU supports a Britain- and France-led "coalition of the willing" and plans to seek broader support from U.N. member states at the upcoming U.N. General Assembly to ensure free passage through the strategic waterway and the protection of international maritime law.

Dobran said it was up to South Korea to decide whether to participate militarily in efforts to protect navigation in the region.

"What is important is to join forces when it comes to freedom of navigation and protecting UNCLOS," he said. "If there are means for you to support what we are trying to do there, this is more than welcome."

The South Korean government has said it is reviewing various options for contributing to international efforts to secure the Strait of Hormuz, including the possible deployment of noncombat military assets.

(END)

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