US 'North Korea sent 10,000 troops for training, Russia used some', fabricating Korea's 'participation'
The US State Department stated that “North Korea dispatched 10,000 troops to train its military,” but that it was “concerns that some of them will be used to support combat or military operations,” showing a gap with South Korea’s “dispatch of combat troops,” and Korean media outlets have collectively deleted this.
On the 28th, US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said, “We believe that North Korea has sent around 10,000 total soldiers to train in eastern Russia that will probably augment Russian forces.”
A deputy spokesman for the U.S. Department of Defense said on the same day, "We believe North Korea has sent approximately 10,000 troops to eastern Russia for training and will be increasing its troop presence near Ukraine in the coming weeks."
In a regular briefing on the 29th, Pentagon Spokesperson Patrick Ryder responded to a question, “As I have emphasized before, we believe that the DPRK has sent approximately 10,000 soldiers in total to train in eastern Russia, and we believe that they will increase their presence near Ukraine in the coming weeks.” When asked, “Does the US Department of Defense know what kind of troops North Korea has sent?” he responded, “It appears that they will be deployed for some kind of infantry mission at this time, but it remains to be seen.”
He continued, “We remain concerned about Russia’s intentions to deploy these forces to combat or combat support operations in the Kursk area,” stating that “Russian strategy” are a subject of intelligence.
The Voice of America (VOA) reported the spokesperson’s announcement as “We believe that North Korea has sent around 10,000 total soldiers to train in eastern Russia that will probably augment Russian forces.”
In Spokesperson Miller’s briefing that day, Korean media outlets collectively omitted the most important “dispatch of troops for training,” and mixed up the following statement with the Ministry of National Defense’s commentary and reported it.
Ukrainian President Zelensky changed his official statement on the 24th of last week, saying, “North Korean troops will participate in the war on the 26th and 27th,” and said at a press conference in Oslo on the 28th (Monday), “We believe that they (Russia) will soon secure 12,000 troops on Russian territory,” and “There are already about 3,000 North Korean soldiers and officers on Russian territory. Russia will use them in the war in Ukraine,” matching the US announcement of “using Russia.”
Hong Jang-won, 1st Vice Director of the National Intelligence Service, who visited NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium on the 28th for a briefing on North Korean troop deployment, confirmed to Yonhap News that the North Korean troops’ deployment to Kursk in Russia was earlier than expected, and said that “there are areas where 12,000 people need to move.”
Spokesperson Miller stated this in a briefing that day, saying, “We have already seen some soldiers moving closer to Ukraine in the past few weeks,” and “We are increasingly concerned that Russia is seeking to use these North Korean soldiers to support Ukrainian forces in combat or military operations in Kursk, near the Ukrainian border,” and referred to it as “concerns about Russia using North Korean soldiers for support.”
Spokesperson Miller then announced that the “ROK-US consultations” will be held at the US-ROK diplomatic and defense 2+2 meeting to be held in Washington on the 31st, saying, “The main topics of discussion will be the expansion of relations with Russia, including North Korea’s deployment of troops to Russia, other provocative actions by North Korea, and our broad commitment to Indo-Pacific security.”
Domestic media reported that President Yoon Seok-yeol said in a phone call with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on the 28th, “This is a grave situation where North Korean soldiers could be deployed to the front lines in Ukraine at a faster pace than expected.”
President Yoon then said in a phone call with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, “Our delegation that briefed NATO will visit Ukraine to share information about the situation with intelligence and defense officials and discuss future cooperation plans,” and officially notified that “a delegation consisting of senior intelligence and military officials, including First Vice Director of the National Intelligence Service Hong Jang-won and Director of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Intelligence Department Park Jin-young, will visit NATO and Ukraine.”
The Dong-A Ilbo reported on the 29th that “a senior official of the National Intelligence Service went to Ukraine in person late last month and met with Ukrainian intelligence officials to share information about the North Korean military deployment and grasp the local situation,” and that “after that, NIS analysts confirmed and further analyzed the related information, and on the 18th, the NIS officially confirmed the fact of North Korea’s large-scale deployment for the first time.”
Yonhap News reported that <NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on the 28th (local time), "I can confirm that North Korean troops have been transferred to Russia and that North Korean military units have been deployed to the Kursk region (Russia)." <Secretary General Rutte met with reporters after receiving a briefing from the South Korean government delegation at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, and said this>.
TV Chosun reported on the 28th that <the government delegation that arrived in Brussels, Belgium last weekend briefed the North Atlantic Council (NAC) on the North Korean troop deployment situation, and some are reportedly planning to move to Ukraine> and <A diplomatic source said, "Some of the delegation led by Hong Jang-won, 1st Vice Director of the National Intelligence Service, will be dispatched to Ukraine." These individuals, who are affiliated with major organizations such as the National Intelligence Service and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, are expected to perform roles similar to intelligence analysts or observers and monitor North Korean military movements in real time>.
On the 29th at 4 o'clock, Yonhap News reported under the title <US: "Concerns over the possibility of combat between North Korean and Ukrainian forces in Kursk" (Comprehensive 2nd report)> that <The US Department of Defense announced on the 28th (local time) that North Korea dispatched about 10,000 troops to Russia, and some of them have already moved closer to Ukraine. Sabrina Singh, deputy spokesperson for the US Department of Defense, told reporters that day, "We believe that North Korea has dispatched about 10,000 troops to eastern Russia for training, and (they) will reinforce Russian troops near Ukraine in the coming weeks." Last week, the US government estimated the size of the North Korean troops dispatched at 3,000, but this time it raised the number to about 10,000. (Omitted)
State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a briefing that day, "We are increasingly concerned that Russia is attempting to use these North Korean troops to combat or support military operations against Ukrainian forces in Kursk, near the Ukrainian border."> and omitting the State Department’s announcement of the “training dispatch".
YTN reported on the 29th under the title <President Yoon: “North Korean military participation in war is a threat to our security”... Zelensky to dispatch special envoy to Korea soon> that <President Yoon Seok-yeol had a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky this afternoon to share his assessment of North Korea’s dispatch of troops to Russia and its participation in the Ukrainian war, and discussed future response measures. President Yoon pointed out that North Korea is going beyond providing military weapons support to Russia and is doing something dangerous and unprecedented by dispatching special forces>.
‘Chosun Biz’ under the title <Yoon, phone call with Zelensky… “We will not sit idly by and watch Russia-North Korea military collusion… Close communication between the two countries”> and <Zelensky: “North Korean military deployment imminent on Ukrainian frontline” Strategic consultations to jointly respond… Ukraine to dispatch special envoy to Korea> under the subtitle <President Zelensky expressed his gratitude for the decision to dispatch our government delegation to Kiev, etc. He continued, “The North Korean military’s deployment to the Ukrainian front is imminent, and this is pushing the war into a new phase that has never been experienced before,” the report said on the 29th.
National Intelligence Service, Russia, US State Department, North Korea dispatch, media manipulation, Yoon Seok-yeol, Zelensky, dispatch, Hong Jang-won, trainee