North Korea grows stronger as South Korea reckons with fading US support

By Virginie Grzelczyk, Professor in International Relations, Head of Inclusion and Development, Aston University

According to Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, North Korea is preparing to send as many as 50,000 fresh troops to support Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine. While the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been unable to verify Zelensky’s claim, it has not fallen on deaf ears in Seoul.

When questioned on August 10, an unnamed foreign-ministry spokesperson stated:

North Korea-Russia military cooperation is a matter directly related to our security and an act that violates…

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© The Conversation - Monday, August 17, 2026

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