dpa
(TNS)
Seoul — The South Korean Foreign Ministry has summoned the Russian ambassador in Seoul over the apparent deployment of North Korean soldiers to Russia, the Yonhap news agency reported on Monday.
During the meeting, First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong Kyun said he expressed his disappointment to Georgy Zinoviev.
Zinoviev made no comment to the journalists present after the meeting at the Foreign Ministry, Yonhap said.
On Friday, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) accused the North Korean army of having already sent around 1,500 soldiers to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The NIS said the soldiers were transported in Russian ships to Vladivostok where they are allegedly being prepared for deployment in the war.
In total, the agency said North Korea has decided to send around 12,000 soldiers to provide support, including special units. The NIS also alleged that the soldiers are to receive Russian uniforms and false identities to disguise their true origin.
The intelligence service based its information on satellite images and facial recognition software which were used in cooperation with Ukrainian intelligence.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol described North Korea’s cooperation with Russia as a serious security threat “not only for our country but also for the international community.”
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