Seoul. North Korea has sent about 200 long-range guns to help Russia in the war against Ukraine. Along with this, there is a possibility of sending more soldiers and weapons from Pyongyang. South Korea's Defense Ministry made this claim on Tuesday. In a briefing given to the Parliamentary Defense Committee, the ministry said that North Korea had provided about 11,000 soldiers, missiles, 200 long-range guns, and adequate ammunition. Also, Pyongyang can provide additional soldiers, weapons, and ammunition in the future.
Earlier, South Korea's spy agency had said that North Korehadas sent about 11,000 soldiers to support Russia. Of these, 300 are feared to have been killed and about 2,700 others injured. The ministry said that North Korea is expected to double down on its weapons development this year. This year is the last year of Pyongyang's five-year plan to develop sophisticated weapons such as nuclear-powered submarines, spy satellites, and solid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).
The ministry expressed the possibility that North Korea could get technical assistance from Russia in exchange for military assistance. Russia can especially help in atmospheric re-entry technology of nuclear-powered submarines and ICBMs. According to a report by Yonhap news agency, the ministry also presented its assessment of the relationship between the US and North Korea. According to it, it seems that Pyongyang is trying to establish a favorable situation to negotiate with Washington.
The ministry also underlined, however, that North Korea did not respond to US President Donald Trump's desire to reconnect with its leader,r Kim Jong-un. Instead, it has conducted missile tests, and Kim visited a nuclear-material production base.
