“The possibility of dead and wounded North Korean soldiers fighting against Ukraine is absolutely real,” said senior White House official.
[Cheonji Ilbo Washington=Reporter Eloise Lee]
The United States has confirmed 10,000 North Korean soldiers are in Russia receiving military training, and up to 8,000 of them have deployed to the Kursk region just 305 miles from the Ukrainian border. The Pentagon says it appears that Russia fully intends to send the troops into combat.
Now, US officials are warning that North Korean soldiers will be “legitimate military targets” if they join the war, which the US expects to happen in a matter of days, according to Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
“We've not yet seen these troops deploy into combat against Ukrainian forces, but we would expect that to happen in the coming days,” Blinken said.
“Should these troops engage in combat or combat support operations against Ukraine, they would become legitimate military targets,” he added, after explaining that Russia has been training the North Korean soldiers.
The Pentagon confirmed the soldiers have been trained in artillery operations, UAV operations, and basic infantry operations, including trench clearing. Secretary of Defense Austin said the Kremlin has also provided the troops with Russian uniforms and equipment.
“All of that strongly indicates that Russia intends to use these foreign forces in front line operations in its war of choice against Ukraine,” he assessed.
“Make no mistake: If these North Korean troops engage in combat or combat support operations against Ukraine, they would make themselves legitimate military targets,” he reiterated.
US officials held a series of meetings with their South Korean counterparts in Washington DC this week to discuss possible responses to the recent hostile activities by North Korea.
The Republic of Korea Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul, and Republic of Korea Minister of Defense Kim Yong-hyun were in attendance.