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The statement by South Korea’s Defence Minister that the DPRK may have already sent troops to Ukraine is largely political in nature. Therefore, it is worth waiting for statements from the specialized agencies of both Ukraine and South Korea. Nevertheless, this statement by the Defence Minister serves as a certain warning. Therefore, Ukraine must remain aware of all potential risks.
Artur Kharytonov, president of the Liberal Democratic League of Ukraine, discussed this on Hromadske Radio on Tuesday, October 8:
«If we talk about the presence of North Koreans in the occupied territories of Ukraine, we should indeed wait for official statements from the relevant authorities in both Ukraine and South Korea. The statement by the Defence Minister of South Korea is primarily political, but it does serve as a warning. Therefore, we must stay vigilant regarding the risks we face.»
Kharytonov highlighted the significance of 30 September. This is the day when the Russian government submitted an agreement to its parliament. Its aim is to restore the collective security system between Russia and the DPRK. The expert believes this date could have marked the beginning of “something bad.”
«There’s a lot of speculation now about what the DPRK might do to support Russia’s war in Ukraine. On 30 September, the Russian government sent an agreement to its parliament for ratification concerning the restoration of the collective security system between Russia and the DPRK. This date is important because I believe that something bad might have started from that moment», — said Kharytonov.
According to Kharytonov, if the DPRK sends people to Ukraine, they likely won’t be limited to engineer troops or forced labor to rebuild the occupied cities. Instead, they might include drone operators and infantry units. He emphasized that Kim Jong-un shows no mercy for his citizens and has no regard for how many may die in the war in Ukraine. As an example, Kharytonov mentioned a recent flood in the DPRK when Kim Jong-un refused to open life-saving floodgates, resulting in the deaths of thousands of people.
«This is not just about engineering forces or slave labor (as discussed in 2022) being sent to rebuild the occupied, destroyed cities of Ukraine, which the Russians have considered. I believe we are talking about drone operators and infantry units. Kim Jong-un spares no one. When there was a flood in the DPRK a few months ago, and it was necessary to open life-saving floodgates, Kim refused, leading to the deaths of thousands of people. This shows how indifferent he is to the number of people who may die, for instance, in Ukraine», — Kharytonov said.