S. Korean Delegation to Brief NATO, EU Officials on N. Korea’s Troop Deployment to Russia

BRUSSELS: A South Korean government delegation is set to visit Belgium next week to provide briefings to North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and European Union (EU) officials regarding North Korea's deployment of troops to Russia, as announced by Seoul's spy agency on Friday. According to Yonhap News Agency, the delegation will be led by Hong Jang-won, the first deputy director of the National Intelligence Service (NIS). They are scheduled to visit NATO headquarters in Brussels on Monday to discuss the evolving military relationship between Pyongyang and Moscow. Representatives from all 32 NATO member countries are expected to attend the briefing, which will be succeeded by another session at the EU's Political and Security Committee. This visit comes in response to a request from NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who, in a conversation with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol earlier this week, asked for the dispatch of a South Korean team. The delegation will also engage in discussions with Rutte and other senior officials from NATO and the EU. South Korea, along with the United States, has reported that North Korea has already sent around 3,000 troops to eastern Russia, with expectations from the NIS that approximately 10,000 soldiers will be deployed by December. Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans indicated on social media that intelligence suggests Russia is deploying at least 1,500 North Korean soldiers, potentially for stationing at Russia's western border. The presence of a substantial number of North Korean troops, including elite units, underscores a significant strengthening of military cooperation between North Korea and Russia. Previously, their interactions were mostly limited to the supply of artillery shells and short-range ballistic missiles. South Korea is concerned that these developments could lead to North Korean troops actively supporting Russian forces in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, which it considers a violation of various United Nations Security Council resolutions.