North Korea vows unwavering support for Russia's 'holy war'
North Korea will support the Russian invasion of Ukraine "until victory," announced the head of North Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday. She added that the Russian army is undertaking what she called a "holy war" against Kyiv. However, she did not mention the thousands of Korean soldiers reportedly stationed in the Kursk region.
North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui stated, "We repeat that we will always stand firmly with our Russian comrades until the day of victory," as quoted by "The Moscow Times."
Choe Son-hui met with her Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, where she praised Russian President Vladimir Putin, referring to him as another esteemed leader.
We have no doubts that under the wise leadership of the esteemed Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Russian army and people will surely achieve a great victory in their holy struggle to defend the sovereign rights and security of their state, she declared.
In response, Lavrov highlighted the close relations between Russia and North Korea, including their cooperation in military and intelligence services. He expressed Moscow's gratitude for North Korea's principled stance on the events in Ukraine.
North Korean soldiers in Ukraine
"The Moscow Times" notes that during the meeting, there was no discussion about the presence of North Korean troops in Russia. According to Western sources, several thousand soldiers are stationed in the Kursk region.
Most of the North Korean soldiers sent to Russia are young recruits, around 20 years old, who have recently begun their service, reported the South Korean daily "JoongAng," citing military sources. Moscow reportedly pays each soldier $2,000 per month.
The United States and South Korea revealed that at least 3,000 soldiers were transported from North Korea to Russia in October. By the end of the year, Pyongyang plans to deploy 10,000 military personnel. On Thursday, Japanese and Ukrainian media reported that about 2,000 North Korean soldiers, who completed training at facilities in Russia's Far East, are being transported by train to the European part of the country, near the border with Ukraine.
