Seoul demands immediate withdrawal of elite soldiers reportedly helping Russia in its war against Ukraine

South Korea has summoned the Russian ambassador to Seoul to protest “in the strongest terms” about the reported dispatch of thousands of North Korean troops to help Russia in its war against Ukraine.

The first vice-foreign minister, Kim Hong-kyun, told the Russian envoy, Georgy Zinoviev, that the participation of North Korean troops in the war violated UN resolutions and demanded their immediate withdrawal, South Korea’s foreign ministry said in a statement on Monday.

“We condemn North Korea’s illegal military cooperation, including its dispatch of troops to Russia, in the strongest terms,” Kim said, adding that the deployment posed a serious threat to the security of South Korea and other countries. “We will respond jointly with the international community by mobilising all available means against acts that threaten our core security interests.”