What did North Korea's troop deployment mean for Ukraine?
A retrospective on 18 October 2024, when South Korean intelligence said Pyongyang had begun sending soldiers to fight alongside Russia.
What did it mean when a third country's soldiers were reported heading to Russia's war? On 18 October 2024, South Korea's National Intelligence Service said that North Korea had started sending troops to fight with Russia in Ukraine.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol called for a security meeting. He said the international community must respond with "all available means".
What had been said two days earlier
The South Korean statement followed claims made on 16 October 2024. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that North Korea had become directly involved in the war. A senior Ukrainian intelligence official said around 3,000 North Korean troops were in Russia and training for deployment to Russian-occupied territories.
The same day, U.S. President Joe Biden announced a new $425 million military aid package for Ukraine, containing long-range weaponry.
A widening circle of involvement
Taken together, the reports of 16 and 18 October 2024 placed the question of foreign participation in the war at the centre of international attention. Kyiv's account of troops training inside Russia gained support from Seoul's intelligence service, which said the deployment had begun. Seoul's call for a security meeting and for a response by all available means showed how seriously it treated the reports.
