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Was North Korea's entry into the war confirmed?
Summary
A look back at the days around 19 October 2024, when reports of North Korean troops joining Russia drew alarm in Seoul and Kyiv.
What did the world know about North Korea's role in Russia's war on Ukraine on 19 October 2024? By that date, claims that Pyongyang was sending soldiers had moved from rumour to an assertion backed by intelligence services and governments.
On 13 October, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that North Korean troops had been deployed to fight alongside the Russian military. On 16 October he said North Korea had become directly involved in the war. A senior Ukrainian intelligence official said around 3,000 North Korean troops were in Russia and training for deployment to Russian-occupied territories.
Seoul responds
On 18 October, South Korea's National Intelligence Service said North Korea had started sending troops to fight with Russia in Ukraine. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol called for a security meeting and said the international community must respond with all available means.
Pressure on other fronts
The North Korean reports came amid other moves tied to the war. On 16 October, U.S. President Joe Biden announced a new $425 million military aid package for Ukraine, containing long-range weaponry.
A day earlier, on 15 October, the European Union sanctioned fourteen Iranian individuals and firms. They included Iran Air and several high-ranking members of the Quds Force, and the EU accused them of transferring missiles and drones to Moscow to help Russia in its invasion of Ukraine.
What the date marked
Taken together, the reports from 13 to 18 October described a war drawing in more outside actors. Ukraine said North Korean personnel were being prepared for deployment, South Korea's intelligence service said troops were being sent, and the EU accused Iranian entities of supplying weapons to Russia. Washington, for its part, announced further long-range arms for Kyiv.
The account on 19 October 2024 therefore rested on Ukrainian and South Korean statements, with governments in Seoul, Washington and Brussels already acting or calling for action.
