NATO chief "Call with President Yoon...North Korea's dispatch raises grave tensions"

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutter has warned of "significant escalation" of North Korea's deployment to the war in Ukraine.

AFP reported that Secretary-General Rutter said on his social media X that he had spoken to South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol.

"We discussed close partnerships between NATO and South Korea, defense cooperation, and interlinked security between the Atlantic Ocean and the Indo-Pacific," Rutter said.

The call appears to be the first direct exchange of opinions since the recent announcement by the National Intelligence Service that North Korea has decided to send 12,000 soldiers to Russia.

Regarding North Korea's dispatch of troops, Secretary-General Rutter has repeatedly said, "We cannot confirm it."

Regarding the dispatch of North Korean troops, Secretary-General Rutter said on the 18th, "We will communicate to secure relevant evidence," a day after the NIS' announcement, adding, "We are in close contact with all partner countries, especially South Korea."