New York: North Korea’s chief envoy to the United Nations has sidestepped a question confirming the country’s troop deployment to Russia during a U.N. meeting, instead reiterating that his country will continue to develop relations with Russia. Kim Song, North Korea’s permanent representative to the U.N., made the remarks while responding to a question from Robert Wood, the United States’ alternate representative, during a U.N. Security Council (UNSC) meeting on Wednesday in New York (U.S. time).

According to Yonhap News Agency, Wood expressed concerns during the session, stating that the deployment of North Korean troops to assist Russia in its conflict against Ukraine has fundamentally altered the dynamics of the war. He suggested that this move poses an increasing threat to European security. Wood then addressed Kim directly, asking whether the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) had indeed deployed troops to Russia.

South Korea and the U.S. have reported that North Korea has sent over 10,000 so
ldiers to Russia in support of its military efforts against Ukraine. Reports indicate that some of these troops have already engaged in combat in Russia’s western Kursk border region.