North Korea announced Tuesday that its Foreign Minister, Choe Son Hui, is leading a delegation to Russia, marking an escalation in the growing alliance between Pyongyang and Moscow. This visit comes amid accusations from South Korea and Western nations that North Korea has sent thousands of troops to support Russia’s war effort in Ukraine.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported the visit but did not specify its objectives. However, during a closed-door session in South Korea’s National Assembly, the country’s spy agency indicated that Choe may be engaging in high-level discussions concerning the possibility of dispatching additional North Korean troops and negotiating compensation, according to lawmaker Lee Seong-kweun.
The timing of Choe’s trip follows a Pentagon statement on Monday that North Korea has deployed around 10,000 soldiers to Russia, with many expected to arrive in Ukrainian battle zones in the coming weeks. Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh also noted that some North Korean personnel have already reached Russia’s Kursk region, a critical area in Russia's ongoing defense against Ukrainian incursions.
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) warned that North Korean generals or high-ranking officials may be moving toward frontline areas in Ukraine. Communication challenges between the two militaries are reportedly causing difficulties, with Russian forces providing training to North Korean troops to address terminology differences.
North Korea is also suspected of supplying Russia with millions of artillery shells and other military equipment, further fueling concerns in the United States and allied nations. Western officials have condemned these developments as violations of U.N. Security Council resolutions, suggesting that Moscow’s support might also be enabling North Korea to evade sanctions and fund its advanced nuclear and missile programs.
The U.S. and South Korean governments believe that Russia’s recent vetoes of Security Council resolutions—such as the extension of a U.N. sanctions monitor panel—signal an attempt to shield its procurement activities from international scrutiny.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol described the Russia-North Korea cooperation as a “significant security threat to the international community” and called for comprehensive countermeasures. Last week, Yoon suggested the possibility of arms supplies to Ukraine, marking a shift from South Korea’s historical policy against arming nations in active conflict. While South Korea has provided humanitarian aid and joined economic sanctions against Russia, it has so far refrained from sending military aid to Ukraine.
This visit by North Korea’s top diplomat underlines the deepening ties between Pyongyang and Moscow, with potential implications for international security and ongoing conflicts.