North Korea confirms it deployed troops to Russia for first time

In a surprise announcement on this Monday North Korea acknowledged its deployment of soldiers to the battlefield of Russia's war against Ukraine.

Our foreign affairs correspondent Bae Eun-ji covers this announcement.

North Korea confirmed for the first time that it has sent troops to support Russia's war efforts against Ukraine.

Citing the North's ruling party, the state news agency KCNA said Monday that the troop deployment was ordered by leader Kim Jong-un himself, who made the decision under the 'comprehensive strategic partnership treaty,' which he signed with Russian President Vladimir Putin last year.

Article 4 of the treaty says North Korea and Russia "shall immediately provide military and other assistance" to the other party if it "falls into a state of war due to armed invasion from an individual or multiple states."

Putin thanked the North Korean leader for deploying troops to Russia.

Russia's Tass news agency reported Monday that Putin said he commends the North Korean soldiers' "heroism," adding that friendship and cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow will continue to grow.

Meanwhile, the South Korean government criticized the North's deployment of troops, saying it threatens global security.

"We strongly urge the immediate withdrawal of North Korean troops. If the military cooperation between North Korea and Russia continues, we will not stand by idly and will respond firmly with the international community."

Separately, the U.S. State Department also told Reuters that the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia and any support by Russia in return must end, adding that Russia had violated UN Security Council resolutions by training North Korean soldiers.

North Korea's announcement comes after Russia on Saturday local time said that all Ukrainian troops were forced out of the western Russian region of Kursk, with the help of North Korean troops.

"I would like to separately note the participation of the servicemen of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in the liberation of the border areas of the Kursk region, who provided significant assistance in the defeat of a group of Ukrainian armed forces."

South Korea's intelligence agency in October of last year assessed that around 12-thousand North Korean troops had been deployed to the Kursk region.

It also said in January that about 300 of them were killed in combat and another 2-thousand-700 were injured.

Bae Eun-ji, Arirang News.