N. Korean troops in Russia will end up as cannon fodder: S. Korean UN envoy

South Korea's top envoy to the United Nations has criticised North Korea's "dispatch of its troops to Russia", saying they will be used as mere "cannon fodder", while their wages will end up in the pockets of North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un.

Ambassador Hwang Joon-kook made the remarks at a UN Security Council (UNSC) session in New York on Wednesday (local time), after South Korea confirmed that some North Korean troops have been sent to Russia's western region near the border with Ukraine, Yonhap news agency reported.

"As legitimate military targets, they will end up as mere cannon fodder, while the wages they are supposed to receive from Russia will end up squarely in Kim Jong-un's pocket," he said. "Pyongyang's treatment of its young soldiers, its own people, as expendable will be never forgiven."

Hwang said any activities entailed with the North's troop dispatch to Russia are "clear" violations of multiple UNSC resolutions, noting that Pyongyang's "unprecedented" military support to Moscow will change the dynamic of geopolitics on both sides of the Eurasian continent.

"The Republic of Korea, in close cooperation with the international community, will respond resolutely to unlawful Russia-DPRK military cooperation, and will take corresponding measures, commensurate to ensuing developments," he said, using South Korea's official name. DPRK stands for North Korea's official name — Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Robert Wood, deputy US ambassador to the UN, also criticised North Korea over its troop deployment, saying it would mark a "serious" escalation of the conflict if North Korean soldiers are used in the battlefield.

"The decision to deploy North Korean soldiers would also be an inescapably clear demonstration that Russia is growing more desperate, having already suffered more than half a million casualties," he said. "Russia's increasing military dependence on Iran and the DPRK is endangering the world, particularly by increasing DPRK and Iran's ability to threaten the Indo-Pacific and the Middle East on a catastrophic level."

Meanwhile, Kim Song, North Korea's ambassador to the UN, said his country and Russia are entitled to develop relations in all fields, including economic and military affairs, in line with international norms and their "comprehensive strategic partnership" pact signed in June.

"If Russia's sovereignty and security interests are exposed to and threatened by continued dangerous attempts of the United States and the West and if it is judged that we should respond to them with something, we will make a necessary decision," he said.

In response, Wood warned North Korean troops would be targeted if they enter the battlefield in support of Russia. "Should DPRK's troops enter Ukraine in support of Russia, they will surely return in body bags," he said.

On Tuesday, 29 October, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy strongly condemned North Korea's troop deployment to Russia and vowed to actively share information on battlefields to coordinate countermeasures.

Yoon and Zelenskyy held the talks via phone as North Korea sent its troops to Russia's Kursk region near the border with Ukraine for possible frontline deployment in what would be a major escalation in the ongoing war, Yonhap news agency reported.

"The two leaders condemned the illegal military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, including arms transfers and troop deployments, in the strongest terms and agreed to pursue strategic consultations for a joint response," the presidential office said in a release.

Yoon said South Korea will not overlook the deepening military ties between Pyongyang and Moscow and vowed to take "phased measures" in response to the growing security threats. "North Korea is taking unprecedented and dangerous steps by deploying special forces to Russia, beyond merely providing military support," Yoon said, stressing the need for close communication and coordinated responses between South Korea and Ukraine.

Yoon expressed concern over the possibility of Moscow transferring sensitive military technology to Pyongyang in return for the troop deployment and North Korean forces gaining combat experience from the Ukraine conflict, which could pose a significant security risk to South Korea.

Zelenskyy expressed his gratitude for South Korea's continued support, including the decision to send a government delegation to Kyiv. He warned that North Korean troop deployments to Ukrainian front lines could signal an "unprecedented new phase" in the conflict and said Ukraine will dispatch a delegation to South Korea soon for further coordination.