SEOUL — North Korea's Foreign Minister, Choe Son-hui, is heading to Moscow for her second visit in six weeks, according to state media outlet KCNA and Russian officials on Tuesday (Oct 29), amid mounting concerns about North Korea's involvement in Russia’s conflict with Ukraine.

KCNA reported that Choe's delegation departed Monday for an official trip to Russia, but did not provide further details.

Russian ambassador to North Korea, Alexander Matsegora, saw Choe off at the airport, as noted in a statement on the Russian embassy's Vkontakte page.

The embassy statement said, "The visit by the head of the DPRK Foreign Ministry to the Russian Federation is part of a strategic dialogue — following the leaders' agreement during the June 2024 summit to strengthen bilateral relations."

DPRK is North Korea’s formal name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

In a televised cabinet meeting, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol called "illegal" military cooperation between Russia and North Korea a severe risk to the global community.

"I urge everyone to remain vigilant in managing these risks," Yoon told officials.

Choe’s visit follows NATO’s confirmation, alongside Seoul, Washington, and Kyiv, that North Korean troops were deployed to Russia, with NATO reporting that North Korean military units were stationed in Russia's Kursk region near the Ukraine border.

The Pentagon said Monday that Washington would not impose additional restrictions on Kyiv’s use of U.S. weapons if North Korea joins Russia's conflict with Ukraine, adding that North Korea had sent 10,000 troops to eastern Russia for training, a jump from last Wednesday’s estimate of 3,000.

U.S. President Joe Biden called the developments "very dangerous."

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, after meeting a South Korean delegation on Monday, stated that the expanding military relationship between Moscow and Pyongyang threatens both Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic security.

South Korea’s president, during a call with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, indicated that the deployment of North Korean troops to Ukraine's front lines might happen sooner than expected.

Since last year’s meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Russia’s Far East, North Korea and Russia have advanced their military ties, meeting again this June to finalize a broad strategic partnership, including a mutual defense pact.

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