South Korea's Defense Ministry also said it will review measures regarding possible supply of lethal weapons to Ukraine.

South Korean media claimed on Monday that Seoul could send military and intelligence personnel to Ukraine after the North dispatched troops to support Russia in the war.

A report said the government and military of South Korea “are reviewing a plan to send an appropriate number of personnel, including intelligence officers [specialized in North Korea] and experts in enemy tactics,” to Ukraine, citing a South Korean intelligence official.

South Korean personnel in Ukraine would interrogate or provide interpretation services if North Korean soldiers were captured by Ukrainian forces, the report said. They would also provide Kyiv with information about the North’s military tactics, doctrine, and operations.

  • Saleh@feddit.orgEnglish
    61·
    8 days ago

    This has to be the most bizzare proxy war, i have ever heard about.

    Two countries with a shared culltural history to go to join a war on the other side of the world, as not to fight in their demilitarized border zone. But unlike in “normal” proxy wars, they both send soldiers.

    • remotelove@lemmy.caEnglish
      16·
      8 days ago

      Unfortunately, all it will take is one of the Korean groups to be responsible for destroying another Korean group in Ukraine for any retaliation to make it’s way back to the homeland.

      Hell, the story doesn’t even need to be real for one of the Korean governments to start lobbing shells over their border.

      Honestly, I think this is the plan. It was super weird for NK to actually blow up roads on the border. With that, combined with the timing of them sending troops to Ukraine is even more sus. This probably has more to do with US elections, than anything else.

    • arandomthought@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      7·
      8 days ago

      I wanted to nitpick on the “other side of the world” part and tell you that NK actually shares a border with Russia. But you’re actually right, Russia is just that massive that its border with Ukraine might as well be on the other side of the earth.

      • Saleh@feddit.orgEnglish
        2·
        8 days ago

        Pyongyang - Kyiv is 7.700 km. So technically it is only about 1/6 around the earth. From a western European perspective the distances to the west are distorted to be shorter and to the east to be longer. In the perception in my country (Germany) Kyiv moved a lot closer in the past 10 years or so.

        I was surprised the other day when i looked it up. Berlin Moscow is about 1.600 km. Berlin Madrid is about 1.800 km.

  • SnausagesinaBlanket@lemmy.worldEnglish
    91·
    8 days ago

    Meanwhile North Koreans are fleeing the front lines.

    None of these guys have ever seen live combat and they all have 2 Kgs of medals.

    • Draghetta@lemmy.worldEnglish
      6·
      8 days ago

      2kg of medals is not that very many, depending on the thickness and material.

      North Korean soldiers are so strong they always carry about 50kg of medals on their chest in order to give enemies a fair chance in hand to hand combat, not to mention being a much manlier bullet deflector than kevlar.

      Then there is the layers… you get shot but the medal deflects it, so the medal gets a medal and the cycle continues.

    • telllos@lemmy.worldEnglish
      4·
      8 days ago

      There’s always joking around when it comes to North Korea. Because of pictures of their parade and officers covered in medals.

      But reading about North Korean society is always really fascinating.

      For example I remember reading that the military service is about 10 years. Of course children of the Elite are exempt.

      Military base are also very autonomous. Meaning that they are farming and fishing.

      It’s also very interesting that south Korean is sending troops. Probably to gather intelligence and help with translation or with captured North Korean soldiers.

  • tal@lemmy.todayEnglish
    8·
    8 days ago

    https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-october-21-2024

    Russia appears to be scrambling to reduce tensions with South Korea following credible reports of intensified North Korean cooperation with Russia, including South Korean and Ukrainian intelligence warnings that a contingent of North Korean troops has deployed for training to Russia. South Korea’s Foreign Ministry summoned Russia’s Ambassador to South Korea, Georgy Zinoviev, over reports of the deployment of North Korean military personnel to Russia.[12] The Russian Embassy in South Korea falsely framed the event as a voluntary meeting, as opposed to a diplomatic summons, and notably claimed that any cooperation between Russia and North Korea “is not directed against the security interests” of Seoul.[13] Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov claimed that Russia-North Korea cooperation “should not cause concern” to other states, and that information about the alleged presence of North Korean troops in Russia may be “contradictory.”[14] The Kremlin’s apparent desire to assure South Korea that its cooperation with North Korea is not a threat to Seoul suggests that the Kremlin remains very concerned about the prospect of Seoul’s potential pivot towards providing Ukraine with necessary military support, and the implications of worsened relations with Seoul for Russian security interests in the Asia Pacific region. Russia has previously attempted to court Seoul in order to mitigate the impacts of its growing reliance on North Korea, as ISW has noted.[15]

    Well, if ISW is correct about the Kremlin aiming to reduce tensions, it doesn’t sound like tensions are being reduced a whole lot.

    • chingadera@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1·
      8 days ago

      Scrambling,??? Like they just accidentally found themselves aiding on their front lines? Journalism is dead.