The specter of World War looms on the horizon, as international conflicts intertwine and edge closer to each other. Amid fears of an Israeli strike on Iran that could ignite the entire Middle East, in Eastern Europe, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is drawing in two other adversaries, North Korea and its southern neighbor, signaling a potential transformation of the world into a vast battlefield.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol confirmed on Thursday that his country would not "stay idle" while its northern neighbor sends thousands of soldiers to assist Russia in its war against Ukraine, according to Agence France-Presse.

The intelligence agency in Seoul reported that about 3,000 North Korean soldiers are currently training in Russia and are expected to be deployed to the front lines against Ukraine soon, with more soldiers anticipated to be sent by December.

Both NATO and Washington have confirmed that North Korean soldiers are receiving training in Russia, warning that their participation in the war in Ukraine represents a serious escalation of the conflict, which began in early 2022.

After talks with Polish President Andrzej Duda, who is visiting the country until Friday, Yoon stated that "South Korea will not remain idle in this regard."

He added that his country and Poland, a NATO member, agreed that the deployment of North Korean troops represents "a provocation that threatens global security beyond the Korean Peninsula and Europe."

Duda held discussions with Yoon on Thursday, where both presidents strongly condemned North Korea's missile development and (its) nuclear program and provocations, as well as its military cooperation with Russia.

Seoul Foreign Ministry: All options are on the table

For his part, South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin stated that his government cannot remain passive regarding North Korea's dispatch of troops to Russia to assist in the fight against Ukraine.

The South Korean news agency "Yonhap" reported that Park said during a parliamentary hearing on Thursday: "I don't believe we are in a position where we can stand idly by when it ultimately becomes a threat to our security."

In response to a member of parliament's question regarding whether the South Korean government would consider providing arms directly to Ukraine, he stated, "All options are on the table."

He later added that North Korea's deployment of troops "would not have happened without Moscow preparing something in return."

It is worth noting that Seoul has not provided Ukraine with any heavy weapons so far, fearing that this could escalate the war.

The Russian parliament approves military exchange with North Korea

Meanwhile, the Russian parliament approved a treaty on Thursday with North Korea regarding mutual military assistance, a move that comes as the United States confirmed the sending of 3,000 North Korean soldiers to Russia, according to the Associated Press.

The State Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament, quickly voted to adopt the comprehensive strategic partnership agreement, which was signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during a visit to Pyongyang last June. The upper house is expected to follow the Duma's lead soon.

The agreement obliges Russia and North Korea to provide military assistance immediately through "all means" if either is attacked, representing the strongest link between Moscow and Pyongyang since the end of the Cold War.

The United States confirmed on Wednesday that 3,000 North Korean soldiers have been sent to Russia and are being trained at various sites, describing the step as highly dangerous and warning that those forces would be "exposed to attack" if they went to fight in Ukraine.

Both North Korea and Russia have previously denied assertions from the United States and its allies that Pyongyang had supplied Moscow with ballistic missiles and millions of artillery shells for use in Ukraine.

When asked in June whether North Korean forces could fight alongside Russian troops in Ukraine under the agreement, Putin stated that there was no need for that, but he also announced for the first time that Russia could supply Pyongyang with weapons.

Observers noted that in exchange for military support, Moscow could share advanced weapon technologies with Pyongyang to help it improve its ballistic missile and satellite capabilities.