Kathmandu. North Korea has confirmed its first deployment of troops to Russia. On Monday, state news agency KCNA said Pyongyang’s troops had helped Moscow regain control of the Kursk region on the Russian border from Ukraine.
The admission came days after Russia confirmed North Korea’s involvement. South Korean and Western intelligence agencies have long reported that Pyongyang sent more than 10,000 troops to help in Kursk last year. “Sub-units of our armed forces participated in the operation to liberate the Kursk region in accordance with the order of the head of state of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,” the North’s Central Military Commission said in a KCNA report. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s decision to deploy troops was reportedly in accordance with the mutual defense treaty.
“Those who fight for justice are all heroes and representatives of the honor of the motherland,” KCNA quoted Kim as saying. Kim said a monument to “war achievements” would soon be built in the capital and publicly confirmed that North Korean soldiers had been killed in the war, referring to “graves of fallen soldiers.” “The country should take important national measures to pay special respect and care to the families of war veterans,” he said.
According to the Central Military Commission, the operations to liberate the Kursk region by Ukrainian authorities to repel the Russian Federation’s daring attack were successfully completed. On Saturday, Russian Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov praised the “heroism” of North Korean soldiers. He said the North Korean soldiers provided significant assistance in defeating the Ukrainian armed forces. South Korea’s Defense Ministry said in a regular press briefing on Monday that the North Korean military deployment violated UN security resolutions.
“By officially admitting this, (the North) has admitted its own criminal actions,” its spokesman said. According to experts, the decision to publicly disclose the deployment was agreed upon by North Korea and Russia in advance. “The two countries agreed to disclose the deployment because they considered the compensatory benefits of the military deployment to outweigh the potential damage to their international image,” said Yang Mu-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul. “North Korea can significantly reduce internal opposition by committing state facilities to deployed soldiers,” he said, adding that the move reflects Pyongyang’s confidence, adding that “North Korea is probably trying to show that victory was achieved due to their involvement in order to secure further rewards from Russia.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that Ukrainian troops were still fighting in Kursk, despite Moscow’s claims of “liberation” of its western region. Pyongyang’s Central Military Commission said the action was proof of “the strong military friendship between the two countries.” “Now the question is whether Kim Jong-un will attend Russia’s Victory Day celebrations on May 9,” said Lim Yul-chul, a professor at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies in Seoul.
Russia has pledged to hold its biggest Victory Day celebration on May 9, marking the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany, with a huge military parade and a speech by President Vladimir Putin. “While the likelihood of Kim attending the event seems relatively low, it cannot be completely ruled out,” Lim said. “The recapture of the Kursk region could be a positive justification for Kim’s presence at the Victory Day celebrations.”
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