Yoon, NATO chief discuss joint responses against North Korea's troop deployment to Russia

President Yoon Suk Yeol and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Secretary General Mark Rutte held a phone conversation Wednesday to discuss coordinated responses to North Korea's troop deployment to Russia in support of its war in Ukraine.

Yoon held his third phone talks with Rutte in less than a month, following a South Korean delegation's recent visit to NATO, the European Union and Ukraine to discuss North Korea's troop dispatch to Russia.

During the call, Yoon said Seoul is arranging for a Ukrainian special envoy's visit to South Korea to share information and coordinate joint responses, vowing to maintain close communication with NATO over the issue, the presidential office said.

The NATO chief said North Korean troops are expected to engage in combat against Ukraine within days, underscoring the need for South Korea, NATO and other like-minded nations to strengthen their solidarity to counter the unprecedented security crisis posed by the development, according to the office.

Rutte said NATO plans to launch a special task force to enhance cooperation with the EU to deal with the growing security threats and expressed hope for maintaining close communication and cooperation among South Korea, Ukraine and NATO, it noted.

Earlier in the day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the first combat engagement between North Korean troops and Ukrainian forces, noting some 11,000 North Korean soldiers were already stationed in Russia's Kursk region.

A senior presidential official said North Korean troops on Russia's western front have not yet engaged in full-fledged combat with Ukrainian forces, saying further monitoring is needed to determine whether full-scale combat has begun. (Yonhap)