South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun said in a speech in parliament that the DPRK could send troops to Ukraine to support Russia. According to him, "Since Russia and North Korea have signed a mutual treaty similar to a military alliance, the possibility of such a deployment is very likely." In September 2023, Vladimir Putin met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at the Vostochny Cosmodrome; the meeting lasted more than five hours. After that, Western media reported that North Korean citizens could be recruited to participate in military operations in Ukraine. Earlier, Volodymyr Zelensky also accused Pyongyang of supporting Russia. The Russian and North Korean sides deny this information.
