BRUSSELS — NATO requested Monday that South Korea send a delegation to brief it on reports that North Korea is sending troops to Russia.
The request was made during a call between NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. NATO and the U.S. earlier said they could not confirm reports from South Korea and Ukraine that as many as 10,000 troops from North Korea are being sent to Russia.
“Secretary-General Rutte requested that the South Korean government send a delegation to NATO to share more detailed information, and expressed hope that South Korea, Ukraine, and NATO will strengthen defense cooperation and security dialogue in the future to respond to North Korea’s deployment of troops to Russia,” a statement by Yoon’s office said.
His office added that Yoon would “swiftly dispatch a delegation to share information” and take steps to “revitalize security cooperation among South Korea, Ukraine, and NATO.”
NATO has not commented on the statement. In a post on social media X, Rutte said North Korea sending troops to fight alongside Russia in Ukraine “would mark a significant escalation.”