Seoul, Oct 22 South Korea is considering sending a team of personnel to Ukraine to monitor North Korean troops being deployed to support Russia, a government source said Tuesday.
Last week, Seoul's spy agency said that North Korea sent some 1,500 special forces to Russia this month to take part in the war in Ukraine. The North is expected to dispatch a total of 12,000 troops from an elite special forces unit, according to an intelligence source, Yonhap news agency reported.
"There is a possibility that personnel will be sent to Ukraine to monitor the tactics and combat capabilities of North Korean special forces dispatched in support of Russia," the source said.
If deployed, the team is expected to be composed of military personnel from intelligence units, who could analyse North Korean battlefield tactics or take part in interrogations of captured North Koreans.
The government is also considering weapons support for Ukraine in a possible shift from its policy to not directly provide lethal aid.
"While watching signs of North Korea-Russia military cooperation, the response measures will be taken in steps," the source said. "Rather than lethal weapons, weapons for self-defence will be prioritised, and even if lethal aid is provided, a way to send them indirectly will be first considered."
South Korea operates a range of weapons systems for defence, including the Cheongung-II medium-range surface-to-air missile defence system.
Meanwhile, Defence Ministry spokesperson Jeon Ha-kyou said in a regular briefing that South Korea's logistics and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, such as gas masks and field rations, could continue.
When asked about what Russia could be providing North Korea in return for the troop dispatch, Jeon said the ministry believes Moscow could be giving financial assistance or advanced technologies to Pyongyang.
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