The U.S. State Department expressed "deep concern" regarding reports that North Korea has decided to send an additional 6,000 troops to support Russia's war in Ukraine.
The State Department spokesperson noted in response to an inquiry from Yonhap News on the 17th (local time) that "the continued use of North Korean laborers and soldiers to support Russia's military operations against Ukraine is very concerning."
He criticized that "the North Korean regime is securing urgently needed funds in exchange for leasing out labor and soldiers, which financially supports North Korea's illegal weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ballistic missile programs."
The State Department specifically pointed out that "North Korean workers operating abroad are generating revenue in violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2397, and that Russia is also implicated in this regard."
Earlier, Sergei Shoigu, the secretary of Russia's Security Council, met with Kim Jong Un, Chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea, during a visit to Pyongyang and revealed to Russian media that "North Korea has decided to send additional troops for mine clearance in Russian territory and to rebuild infrastructure destroyed by attacks in Ukraine."