Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Wednesday that North Korean troops wearing Russian uniforms and carrying Russian equipment are moving to the Kursk region near Ukraine, in what he called a dangerous and destabilizing move.
Austin was speaking at a press conference with South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, as concerns grow about Pyongyang's deployment of as many as 11,000 troops to Russia.
He said officials are discussing what to do about the deployment.
Austin said the U.S. remains concerned that Russia will use the North Korean troops in combat, but "whether they will be employed in the fight is yet to be seen."
Kim said he doesn't necessarily believe the deployment will trigger war on the peninsula, but could increase security threats between the two nations. There is a "high possibly" that Pyongyang would ask for higher technologies in exchange for its troop deployment, such as in nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities, he said, speaking through an interpreter.
