It appears that North Korean troops will enter combat against Ukraine in the coming days, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III said today at the conclusion of 2+2 meetings with South Korean officials at the State Department.

Austin, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and National Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun also spoke of the ironclad alliance between the United States and South Korea and steps to strengthen that alliance. 

“We now assess that North Korea has sent around 10,000 of its soldiers to train in eastern Russia,” Austin said. “Our most recent information indicates that about 8,000 of those [North Korean] soldiers are now in the Kursk Oblast. Now, we’ve not yet seen these soldiers deploy into combat against Ukraine’s forces, but we expect that these North Korean soldiers will join the fight against Ukraine in the coming days.” 

Austin said Russian forces have trained the North Korean soldiers in artillery operations, unmanned aerial vehicle operations and basic infantry tactics to include trench clearing. “The Kremlin has also provided these [North Korean] troops with Russian uniforms and equipment, and all of that strongly indicates that Russia intends to use these foreign forces in frontline operations in its war of choice against Ukraine,” Austin said.  

“Make no mistake, if these North Korean troops engage in combat or combat support operations against Ukraine, they would make themselves legitimate military targets,” the secretary said.  

The United States is consulting closely with allies and partners on these developments. “As I discussed last week in Kyiv, Ukraine’s military continues to perform admirably on the battlefield, and [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s forces have suffered serious losses in recent months,” Austin said. “Ukrainian forces have caused more than 1,200 Russian casualties per day, more than at any other time during Putin’s war. By ‘tin-cupping’ to North Korea for manpower, Putin is showing the world another clear sign of weakness. The Kremlin’s North Korean gambit just underscores how badly Putin’s war has gone and how much trouble he is in.” 

Austin and Blinken both noted it is the first time in more than a century that Russia has welcomed foreign troops on its soil.  

“The United States will continue to surge security assistance to Ukraine, and so will our allies and partners in the Ukraine Defense Contact Group,” the secretary said. This assistance includes artillery, anti-air defense, armored vehicles, munitions and other crucial capabilities. The secretary said the U.S. will announce additional security assistance for Ukraine in the coming days.  

The U.S.-South Korea alliance is evolving into a comprehensive global partnership. “We agreed today to further enhance our interoperability and strengthen our extended deterrence,” Austin said. “Our countries are deepening our nuclear and strategic planning efforts through the Nuclear Consultative Group, and we’re increasing the regular deployments of U.S. strategic assets on the Korean Peninsula.” 

The two countries agreed that attacks in space or cyberspace “that clearly challenge the security of the alliance could lead us to invoke Article III of the Mutual Defense Treaty,” the secretary said. “So, to improve our awareness of threats in the space and cyber domains, we’re enhancing our interoperability and information sharing.” 

The United States and South Korea will continue to advance defense ties with regional allies and partners, especially the historic growth of trilateral security cooperation among Japan, South Korea and the United States, Austin said. “Our robust partnerships, especially with Japan and the ROK, let us share information, assess threats and craft thoughtful responses, just like last night when [North Korea] conducted its latest irresponsible missile test, and across the Indo-Pacific,” the secretary said. “We’re working to strengthen maritime security and to bolster interoperability through multilateral exercises.” 

The United States and South Korea are working with partner countries to tackle shared security challenges.

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