'Grave security threat'

SOUTH Korea has demanded the immediate pull-out of North Korean troops allegedly deployed in Russia as it summoned the Russian ambassador to protest against deepening military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow.

South Korea's spy agency said on Friday it had confirmed that North Korea sent 1,500 special operation forces to Russia earlier this month to support Moscow's war against Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier said his government had intelligence that 10,000 North Korea soldiers were being prepared to join invading Russian forces.