Summary of external news of North Korea this week

North Korea plans to deploy 30,000 to 50,000 additional troops to support Russia in its conflict with Ukraine, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy made the remarks in a recent post on X, referencing his comments during an interview with the United News telethon.

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is currently investigating a North Korean remote information technology (IT) worker who obtained employment at a U.S. federal agency. This development highlights the escalating risks associated with North Korea's scheme to recruit IT personnel to work within the U.S. government sector.

In a joint statement, South Korea, the United States, Japan, and 37 other countries called for advance notice of launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), and space launch vehicles (SLVs). This recommendation emerged following China's surprise SLBM launch in the Pacific Ocean on July 6, which prompted criticism from the U.S. and other nations.

While the statement did not explicitly name China, its actions were the catalyst for the call to action from the coalition of nations.