12,000 N. Korean soldiers soon to be gathered in Russia

[Anchor]

Hello everyone?

This is the KBS News at 9 PM on Tuesday.

Ukraine has claimed that 12,000 N. Korean soldiers will be gathered in Russia, and among them, over 3,000 have already moved to the main battlefield in Kursk for training.

The United States has warned that if the North Korean troops are deployed to the battlefield, they will be considered legitimate targets for attack.

Jo Bit-na reports.

[Report]

The Ukrainian military has claimed, citing local sources, that over 3,000 North Korean soldiers are currently training in Kursk, Russia.

They stated, "They are mainly training at night," and "staff from the communist country's embassy have also arrived for interpretation and observation."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is visiting Northern Europe, urged for a stronger response from the West, stating, "Russia will soon secure 12,000 North Korean soldiers."

[Volodymyr Zelensky/Ukrainian President: "Not to support Ukraine, I think, it will be a big win of Putin."]

U.S. President Joe Biden described the deployment of North Korean troops as 'dangerous.'

[Joe Biden/U.S. President: "Very dangerous. Very dangerous."]

The U.S. Department of Defense has stated that North Korea has sent about 10,000 soldiers to Russia.

They warned that if these troops are deployed to the battlefield, they will be considered legitimate targets for attack, and there will be no new restrictions on the use of U.S. weapons against North Korean troops by the Ukrainian military.

In Europe, Lithuania, a NATO member, has raised the issue of counter-deployment.

Attention is focused on whether discussions will take place regarding the NATO troop deployment or lifting restrictions on the use of long-range weapons, which the West has previously avoided due to concerns about escalation.

Russia has warned of a strong response to such movements from the West.

[Sergey Lavrov/Russian Foreign Minister: "The North Korea-Russia treaty is public. It does not violate international law in any way."]

North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui arrived in Vladivostok, Russia's Far East, yesterday and is staying for the second day.

She is expected to move to Moscow tomorrow to meet with the Russian Foreign Minister and others, but there is no schedule for a meeting with President Putin.

This is Jo Bit-na reporting from Berlin for KBS News.