Kim Jong Bok, currently serving as the deputy chief of the General Staff of the Korean People’s Army, has been a close associate of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, according to Kyodo News.
The military official has frequently accompanied the North Korean leader at military exercises, according to the North Korea Leadership Watch website.
South Korean intelligence recently reported that approximately 3,000 North Korean soldiers have already been sent to Russia’s Far East, with projections of up to 10,000 troops expected by the year’s end.
These findings have been corroborated by the United States and some European Union member states, including Poland and the Netherlands.
On Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that North Korean soldiers could be mobilized as early as Sunday or Monday to support Russian operations in the Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces have been active since August 6.
Zelensky described the deployment as a "first step toward world war," urging Western nations to respond decisively.
NATO officials issued a stark warning that the involvement of North Korean soldiers in Ukraine could signify a severe escalation of Russia’s invasion of the country.
Meanwhile, the national security advisers of the United States, Japan and South Korea expressed "grave concern" over the potential North Korean involvement, emphasizing the need for international action to address the development, the White House said on Friday.
(ał)
Source: PAP, Reuters