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| ▲ A news report on North Korea's dispatch of troops to Russia is aired on a television at Seoul Station in central Seoul on Oct. 20, 2024. (Yonhap) |
S Korea-Ukraine war
S. Korea considering sending personnel to Ukraine to monitor N. Korean troops: source
SEOUL, Oct. 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korea is considering sending a team of personnel to Ukraine to monitor North Korean troops being deployed to support Russia, a government source said Tuesday.
Last week, Seoul's spy agency said North Korea sent some 1,500 special forces to Russia this month to take part in the war in Ukraine. The North is expected to dispatch a total of 12,000 troops from an elite special forces unit, according to an intelligence source.
"There is a possibility that personnel will be sent to Ukraine to monitor the tactics and combat capabilities of North Korean special forces dispatched in support of Russia," the source said.
If deployed, the team is expected to be composed of military personnel from intelligence units, who could analyze North Korean battlefield tactics or take part in interrogations of captured North Koreans.
The government is also considering weapons support for Ukraine in a possible shift from its policy of not directly providing lethal aid.
"While watching signs of North Korea-Russia military cooperation, the response measures will be taken in steps," the source said.
The provision of defensive weapons will be prioritized over lethal ones, the source said, adding that even if lethal weapons are given, South Korea will first consider a way to provide them indirectly to Ukraine.
South Korea operates a range of defensive weapons systems, including the Cheongung-II medium-range surface-to-air missile defense system.
Meanwhile, defense ministry spokesperson Jeon Ha-kyou said in a regular briefing that South Korea's logistics and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, such as gas masks and field rations, could continue.
When asked about what Russia could be providing North Korea in return for the troop dispatch, Jeon said the ministry believes Moscow could be giving financial assistance or advanced technologies to Pyongyang.
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