presidential office-Ukraine
Presidential office says N. Korean troops in Russia have not yet engaged in full-fledged combat against Ukraine
By Kim Eun-jung
SEOUL, Nov. 6 (Yonhap) -- The presidential office said Wednesday that North Korean troops in Russia's western front have not yet engaged in full-fledged combat with Ukrainian forces.
A senior presidential official shared the assessment after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the first combat engagement between North Korean troops and Ukrainian forces and some 11,000 North Korean soldiers were already in Russia's Kursk region.
"A large number of North Korean troops deployed to Russia have already moved to the western front lines, but full-fledged combat has not yet begun," the senior presidential official told reporters on condition of anonymity.
There may have been minor incidents for reconnaissance or preparatory actions, but further monitoring is needed to draw conclusions on whether the actual combat started with Ukrainian forces, the official said.
The official said South Korea is mulling sending a monitoring team to Ukraine to assess potential joint operations between North Korea and Russia in Ukraine.
"If North Korea and Russia launch joint combat operations, it will be critical to monitor their tactics, weapons, and any North Korean casualties, as this information could be crucial for South Korea's security and collaboration with Ukraine," the official said, noting a small monitoring team could be deployed without requiring parliamentary approval.
Talks have been under way over Ukraine's sending a special envoy to South Korea to discuss the battlefield situation and joint responses, the official added.
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