Seoul: The foreign ministry announced on Monday that it is closely monitoring the military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, following claims by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Moscow is preparing to receive an additional 30,000 North Korean troops for its ongoing conflict with Ukraine.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Zelenskyy recently revealed on X that Russia has been preparing since June in the Voronezh region to accommodate these North Korean troops. Additionally, he alleged that Pyongyang is set to transfer more ballistic missile launchers to Russia, although he did not provide concrete evidence or detailed intelligence to support these assertions.

In a succinct statement, the foreign ministry emphasized its vigilance over the developments in military collaboration between the two nations, while refraining from making comments on intelligence matters. The ministry reiterated its stance that any military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, which contravenes U.N. Security Council resolutions, must be halted immediately.

Government sources indicated that there have been no confirmed signs of a new deployment of North Korean troops. Currently, North Korea is believed to have deployed approximately 20,000 troops and military engineers to assist Russia, with around 14,000 reported to be on the front lines.

The recent visit by North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui to Moscow, where she met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, has further fueled speculation regarding the strengthening of military ties between North Korea and Russia.