Seoul: North Korea and Russia are likely to continue their military cooperation beyond the conclusion of the Ukraine war, a senior European Union (EU) official has cautioned, characterizing their connection as a "structural relationship." Dobran highlighted that the strengthening alliance between Pyongyang and Moscow could potentially "embolden North Korea to do more negative actions," such as additional missile launches.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Dobran addressed the possibility of North Korea dispatching more troops to Russia, indicating "signs" of an increased presence of North Korean soldiers as the Russia-Ukraine conflict persists, though he refrained from providing further details. "There were North Korean soldiers fighting against Ukraine. That's a fact that nobody can deny," Dobran stated. "If you follow this pattern, I think everybody can expect that similar actions can happen."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported in July that North Korea had decided to send an additional 30,000 troops to Russia, a claim Pyongyang has categorically denied. South Korean military officials maintain that Pyongyang is preparing for a possible further deployment, although there are currently no indications that another deployment is imminent.
South Korean authorities estimate that North Korea has dispatched over 16,000 troops to Russia since 2024, with many believed to have faced casualties. Dobran noted that sanctions are one of the tools utilized by the European Union, mentioning that several sanctions packages have been approved, with preparations underway for the next round of sanctions.
The official affirmed that sanctions have "absolutely" impacted, pointing to EU and Group of Seven (G7) measures targeting Russia's so-called shadow fleet as examples of how sanctions have influenced Russia's capacity to wage war against Ukraine. Dobran emphasized the necessity of enhanced security cooperation between South Korea and the EU.
"There is the transfer of technology, and now we have North Korean soldiers in Europe, which is quite a negative development. It shows that security in the Indo-Pacific and Europe are quite interlinked," he stated. Dobran elaborated that the EU is actively exchanging information with South Korea regarding North Korea-Russia cooperation, suggesting that the pace of such exchanges should be accelerated. He underscored the need for like-minded nations "to stick together" and devise "concrete ideas" to tackle growing insecurity.
Negotiations on a bilateral information security pact between South Korea and the EU have already commenced, Dobran revealed, expressing optimism for tangible outcomes "before the end of this year," although he acknowledged the absence of a fixed timetable. During a June summit in Brussels, President Lee Jae Myung, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and European Council President Antonio Costa agreed to initiate negotiations on the pact, intended to facilitate the secure exchange of sensitive information and bolster cooperation in defense, industry, and research. Addressing tensions in the Middle East and the Strait of Hormuz, Dobran stressed the significance of safeguarding freedom of navigation and the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which establishes the international legal framework governing maritime navigation.