Russian missile found marked with Korean character, suggesting North Korean origin: report

A United Kingdom-based investigative group Conflict Armament Research claims a Russian missile fired into Ukraine is marked with a Korean character.

Conflict Armament Research (CAR) documented their findings in a report, saying a piece of wreckage from the ballistic projectile was marked by hand in the foreign language.

“On a barometer documented in Ukraine on January 11, 2024, as part of the missile wreckage, CAR investigators observed a label with the handwritten Korean (Hangul) character ‘ㅈ’,” the report claimed.

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The meaning of the symbol in relation to the missile component was not immediately clear.

Regardless, the presence of a Korean language character fuels accusations of cooperation between Russia and North Korea — the latter is suspected of producing ballistic missiles for the invasion of Ukraine.

“CAR investigators did not see any Hangul characters on other components,” the organization reported.

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The United States and South Korea have officially claimed North Korea is providing Russia with weaponry, including artillery and missiles, to help refill its supplies drained by its war in Ukraine. In return, North Korea allegedly receives technological and military insights.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby addressed speculation of the Russian-North Korean ballistics deal earlier this month in a White House press conference. 

“Our information indicates that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea recently provided Russia with ballistic missile launchers and several ballistic missiles,” Kirby told reporters in a briefing at the White House.

Koo Byoungsam, spokesperson of South Korea’s Unification Ministry, said it is closely watching diplomatic visits between the two countries and any potential agreements or shifts in relations.

The spokesperson accused North Korea and Russia of “maintaining illegal cooperation activities, including arms exchanges” following Kim’s visit to Russia in September, when he met with Putin.