North Korea 'highly likely' to deploy troops to Ukraine to help Russia: South's defense minister

North Korea is likely to deploy members of its regular armed forces to Ukraine in support of Russia, South Korea's defense chief said Tuesday, in the latest sign of deepening military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow.

Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun speaks to lawmakers during a parliamentary audit session held at the Defense Ministry compound in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Tuesday. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

North Korea is likely to deploy members of its regular armed forces to Ukraine in support of Russia, South Korea's defense chief said Tuesday, in the latest sign of deepening military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow.

The assessment came as North Korea has been seeking to bolster ties with Russia, highlighted by a bilateral agreement that includes a mutual defense clause, signed by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin at summit talks in June.

"As Russia and North Korea have signed a mutual treaty akin to a military alliance, the possibility of such a deployment is highly likely," Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun told lawmakers during a parliamentary audit session.

Against this backdrop, Kim said a recent report on North Korean troop casualties in a Russian-occupied territory near the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk is also likely to be true.

Last week, the Kyiv Post reported that six North Korean officers were killed and three others were wounded in a Ukrainian missile strike on Oct. 3, citing intelligence sources.

Yonhap