US, South Korea denounce North Korea's admission of Russia-Ukraine war involvement

The U.S. and South Korea on April 28 denounced North Korea's acknowledgment of sending its troops to aid Russia in the war against Ukraine, with Seoul calling it an "admission of criminal act."

The statements come as both Moscow and Pyongyang admitted for the first time that North Korean soldiers were dispatched to fight alongside Russia in Kursk Oblast, with Russian President Vladimir Putin lauding them as "heroes."

"With their public admission of the deployment, while claiming they are fully in accordance with international law, they are once again mocking the international community. We strongly condemn this action," the South Korean Foreign Ministry said, according to Yonhap News Agency.

South Korean authorities said the move undermines the "stability in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond," violates international norms, and urged North Korea and Russia to "cease their unlawful military cooperation."

In comments for Reuters, a U.S. State Department spokesperson also called on North Korea to cease its actions, noting that Moscow has also violated U.N. Security Council resolutions by training North Korean soldiers.

North Korea is among the countries whose support for Moscow has "perpetuated the Russia-Ukraine war" and "bears responsibility" for the conflict, the spokesperson said.

Pyongyang has dispatched around 11,000 soldiers to Russia in the fall of 2024 to help fight off a Ukrainian incursion in Kursk Oblast, Ukrainian and South Korean officials said. An additional 3,000 troops were reportedly sent earlier this year after Kyiv reported that more than a third of North Korean soldiers have been killed or injured in combat.

Russia and North Korea admitted to the involvement shortly after the Kremlin announced the "completion" of its operation to retake Kursk Oblast, even as Ukraine says the fighting there is ongoing.

"The Russian people will never forget the achievement of the fighters of the Korean special forces," Putin said in a statement published by the Kremlin on April 28.

"We will always honor the Korean heroes who gave their lives for Russia, for our shared freedom, alongside their Russian brothers-in-arms."

North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un has been one of the key allies of Russia during its full-scale war against Ukraine, providing not only soldiers but also artillery shells, ballistic missiles, and other supplies.