The Ministry of National Defense stated on the 14th that there are no signs of North Korean military troops being additionally dispatched to Russia, but preparations for dispatch are continuing. Regarding the dispatch of North Korean troops to Russia, a Ministry of National Defense official said during a regular briefing, "We are closely monitoring (the situation) as there are various possibilities, but at the current time, we do not see any signs of additional dispatch." The official added, "We assess that (North Korea) is continuously preparing for dispatch." When asked about the purpose of dispatching North Korean troops to Russia, the official said, "We are analyzing various possibilities, including the (construction) of a factory in Russia and (participation) in reconstruction." Regarding the report that North Korean workers are being dispatched under the pretext of 'volunteer work', the official said, "We are aware of that (report)." The Russian media outlet 'Izvestia' reported on the 13th that "North Korea will send 100,000 workers to Russia next year under the pretext of 'volunteer work'." The outlet reported that these workers will be dispatched to areas damaged by the war in Ukraine and will work for free for 5 years in exchange for food and wages. The outlet also reported that North Korean workers will be sent to the occupied territories of Ukraine, including the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, to participate in reconstruction work. The outlet cited an unnamed Russian official as saying that North Korean workers will be sent to Russia in groups of 1,000, starting from November. The Ministry of Unification expressed concerns about North Korea's dispatch of workers to Russia, saying, "It is a violation of UN Security Council resolutions." A Ministry of Unification official said, "We urge North Korea to immediately stop acts that violate UN Security Council resolutions and engage in serious dialogue for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the improvement of inter-Korean relations."
We haven't written up this one. Hankyoreh has the full story — the link below goes straight to it.
