South Korea considers sending ”visiting team” to Ukraine in response to North Korea's support for Russia

Amid reports that North Korea has sent troops to support the Russian military's invasion of Ukraine, the South Korean government is apparently considering sending a "visiting team" to monitor the movements of the North Korean military.
According to a South Korean government official, the delegation is likely to be sent to Ukraine separately from the one being sent to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
A South Korean government official said on the 22nd, "We may send personnel to Ukraine to monitor the tactics and combat capabilities of the special forces that North Korea has sent to Russia."
On the 21st, President Yun Seok-yeol ordered a delegation to be sent to NATO to share information on North Korea's support for Russia and to discuss countermeasures.
This was in response to NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte's request in a telephone conversation with President Yoon for a South Korean government delegation to share detailed information.
In response, President Yoon said he would swiftly dispatch a delegation to share information and to take advantage of security cooperation between South Korea, Ukraine, and NATO.
Defense Ministry spokesman Jeong Ha-kyu said, "We are aware that the idea of an intelligence-sharing delegation was mentioned in the presidential office yesterday and that it is being considered. No decision has been made yet."
"The details of the plan have not been finalized, so I think we will be able to talk about what role the Ministry of Defense will play once it is more specific," he said.
Regarding the possibility that such a thing may be included, he said, "I can predict that such a thing is possible, but I will be able to talk about it once it is concrete. I will keep a close eye on the movements of North Korea and Russia and respond to the progress of military cooperation between the two countries."
"We would like to take measures that can be used if necessary," he said. The Ukrainian delegation, which is separate from the NATO delegation, is comprised mainly of personnel from the intelligence field, such as the intelligence command and counterintelligence command, and is tasked with analyzing the tactics of the North Korean military.
The military is expected to be made up of personnel with experience in the military field. The military authorities are also planning to investigate Israel, which is currently at war with Hamas, to determine the status of North Korean weapons that Hamas is said to have used, as well as Israel's response measures.
This may include personnel needed to interrogate and interpret for North Korean soldiers who escape or are captured in Ukraine.
On the 17th, during a parliamentary audit by the National Assembly's Defense Committee on the Army Headquarters, Han Ki-ho, a member of the ruling People's Power Party, said, "It is said that 10,000 North Korean troops went to the Ukraine war.
What should we do? Even if the South Korean military does not participate in the war, shouldn't we inspect the area?" he asked. Rep. Han also pointed out that North Korea has sent troops to the Vietnam War and the Middle East War in the past, and has not sent troops to the Vietnam War.
He also pointed out that South Korean prisoners of war were interrogated during the Nam War, and said, "We should also look at how the North Korean military is acting. If the North Korean military sends 10,000 troops to Ukraine,
"Even if we can't join the war, we should at least send a visiting delegation," he said. The dispatch of the NATO government delegation and the Ukrainian visiting delegation was a response to the strengthening of military cooperation between North Korea and Russia.
On the 22nd, the South Korean government, under the direction of Shin Won-sik, head of the National Security Council, held an emergency standing committee meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) and announced a plan to launch a joint military drill on the North Korean military.
The statement urged North Korea to immediately withdraw its troops and warned that it would implement gradual measures according to the level of military cooperation between North Korea and Russia in the future. The specifics of the measures have not been made public, taking into account the advance preparations by North Korea and Russia.
However, the South Korean government is not planning to rule out providing offensive weapons to Ukraine depending on future developments.