Ukraine's Minister of Defense visits South Korea: Details
Photo: Rustem Umerov, Minister of Defence of Ukraine (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Ukraine's Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov held meetings with top officials of South Korea during his visit to Seoul. One of the topics of discussion was enhancing security, according to a statement from the head of Ukraine's Ministry of Defense.
Umerov shared that during his visit to South Korea, he held meetings with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, Minister of Defense Kim Yong-hen, and National Security Advisor Chung Ho-jin.
According to the Ukrainian minister, he informed them about the involvement of a 12,000-strong North Korean military contingent fighting on Russia's side in the war.
"The North Korean troops not only provide equipment and personnel but also actively support strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure," Umerov added.
He emphasized that such actions pose a significant threat to South Korea, as North Korean soldiers are gaining combat experience, which could create additional security challenges in the region in the future.
"Together with President Yoon Suk-yeol, we discussed joint steps to enhance security and stability. We believe our arguments for increasing cooperation between Ukraine and the Republic of Korea will lead to a notable strengthening of the security of our nations and regions," the Minister of Defense stated.
Additionally, on October 31, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned that "his representative" would present a detailed request to Seoul regarding weapons during a visit to South Korea. However, Umerov did not disclose any details about this request following his discussions with South Korean officials.
North Korean soldiers in Kursk region
It was previously reported that North Korean soldiers were spotted in the Kursk region back in October. As noted by the head of the Center for Countering Disinformation, Andrii Kovalenko, they are there to train in using FPV drones in combat conditions.
Recently, it became known that Ukrainian defenders struck an underground command post in the Kursk region.
The Financial Times learned that several North Korean officers were eliminated during the strike, and a North Korean general was wounded.
