North Korea is "very likely to request" advanced technology related to nuclear weapons from Moscow in exchange for the deployment of North Korean troops in Russia's war against Ukraine, South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun said, CNN quoted.
North Korea is likely to request the transfer of Russian technology related to tactical nuclear weapons, the advancement of North Korean intercontinental ballistic missiles, reconnaissance satellites and nuclear submarines, Kim said, speaking through an interpreter alongside Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
The deal would mirror the one Russia has with Iran, in which Moscow shares nuclear-related technology with Tehran in exchange for weapons and military support for the war in Ukraine, the White House said in September.
Kim said he ultimately did not believe the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia would increase the "possibility of war breaking out on the Korean Peninsula," but that it could lead to an "escalation of threats to the security of the Korean Peninsula. peninsula".
South Korea has raised the alarm about North Korea's troop deployment in Russia for weeks and briefed NATO allies on intelligence on troop movements on Monday. A source familiar with the matter said South Korea has dramatically increased intelligence sharing with the alliance in recent weeks as their concerns have grown about North Korean movements.
The US independently confirmed for the first time last week that thousands of North Korean soldiers had been sent to Russia for military training. The US initially said there were only 3,000, but this week revised that number to 10,000. South Korea says 13,000 have been deployed.
It is not yet clear how useful the North Koreans will be to the Russians on the battlefield. Many of the soldiers deployed are special forces, CNN reported Tuesday, but North Korea's military has not been involved in a real war in more than 70 years. Intelligence officials believe the North Korean government sent them largely so they could gain combat experience.
Kim, the South Korean defense minister, did not directly answer a question on Wednesday about whether South Korea would begin providing military aid to the Ukrainians to help counter the North Koreans, which would run counter to the South's long-standing policy of non-armament the countries at war.
But he said South Korean military analysts could be sent to observe the North Koreans fighting the Russians to get a better idea of North Korea's military readiness.