"North Korea Decides to Deploy Up to 50,000 Troops to Russia" ... Zelenskyy Requests Air Defense System Support from South Korea

[Financial News] Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed that North Korea has decided to deploy up to 50,000 troops to Russia. That is as many as 20,000 more than the 30,000 additional troops he projected in July. He warned that if North Korean troops gain modern warfare experience and related technologies through the war in Ukraine, they could pose a future security threat to Asia, and he asked South Korea to provide air defense system support.
According to Ukrainska Pravda and Kyodo News on the 9th, Zelenskyy said in an interview on the 8th local time with Ukraine's nationwide joint 24-hour news broadcast that North Korea had first increased the number of troops it was sending to Russia from several hundred to several thousand, and had now decided to send 30,000 to 50,000. However, Zelenskyy did not disclose how he obtained the information.
He warned not only about the large-scale deployment itself, but also about the experience North Korean troops could gain on the battlefield. He argued that by fighting alongside Russian forces, they could accumulate real combat experience in modern warfare involving drones and missiles, and even secure related technologies and licenses from Russia.
Zelenskyy said, "If military tensions rise in the Pacific region in the future, North Korean troops that have gained experience in Russia could emerge as a new threat to Asian countries."
The Chief Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine previously announced that it had obtained information showing North Korea supplied Russia with 40 ballistic missiles and also sent 90 personnel to operate them.
Ukrainska Pravda reported that a North Korean missile unit has begun deploying in Voronezh Oblast, Russia, and could eventually operate six launchers and up to 120 ballistic missiles.
Claims that North Korean missiles have actually been used in attacks on Ukraine are also continuing to emerge. Ukrainian officials said Russia struck a village near Kryvyi Rih with a North Korean missile on July 30, killing six members of one family.
Vladyslav Vlasiuk, an official in charge of sanctions policy at the Office of the President of Ukraine, also explained that another impact crater believed to have been caused by a North Korean KN-23 short-range ballistic missile was later found.
Zelenskyy said, "The expansion of military cooperation between North Korea and Russia is why South Korea and Ukraine need to strengthen security cooperation," adding, "In particular, we hope South Korea will support the air defense system that Ukraine lacks. We are also ready to cooperate with South Korea in the drone sector."
He also referred to South Korea's institutional constraints. Zelenskyy said, "Whether there are constitutional constraints in South Korea is a matter for South Korea to decide," but added, "We want cooperation between the two countries, and contacts are also under way between the diplomatic authorities."

[email protected] Kim Kyung-min Reporter