The South Korean government stated that it is "closely monitoring related developments" regarding Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's announcement that a decision has been made to deploy up to 50,000 North Korean troops to the Russia-Ukraine war frontlines.

A South Korean Foreign Ministry official emphasized, "Military cooperation between North Korea and Russia is a matter directly tied to our security and violates UN Security Council resolutions," adding that "the government maintains the position that North Korea-Russia military cooperation must cease immediately."

However, the official added that intelligence-related matters could not be confirmed.

The government maintained a cautious stance regarding President Zelenskyy's public expression of hope for South Korean support, in which he mentioned a shortage of air defense systems.

The Foreign Ministry official stated, "We cannot confirm matters discussed through diplomatic channels," and explained that "the provision of defense materials has been carried out in compliance with relevant domestic laws and policies."

The official also noted that the South Korean government has historically "supported Ukraine in various fields such as energy, infrastructure, health care, and education, and plans to continue reviewing measures for the restoration of peace and reconstruction."

In an interview with a local broadcaster shared on social media on the 9th (local time), President Zelenskyy stated that a decision had been made to deploy 30,000 to 50,000 North Korean troops to Russia, and that he is in contact with South Korean diplomatic authorities to receive air defense network support.

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