Ambassador to the U.S. "The rumor of North Korea's dispatch to Ukraine has not been confirmed, but it is highly likely."

Regarding reports that North Korea has sent troops to Ukraine, Ambassador to the U.S. Cho Hyun-dong said there is no confirmed information on how many North Korean soldiers are on the battlefield, but he thinks it is likely that has already happened.

Ambassador Cho said at a seminar held by the Hudson Institute, a U.S. think tank, that if the dispatch of North Korean troops is true, it is a matter to respond in a serious way not only with South Korea and the U.S., but also with other allies and NATO members.

Regarding the impact of North Korea's dispatch of war on the security of the Korean Peninsula, Ambassador Cho pointed out that Russia's dependence on North Korea for weapons supplies shows how interrelated security is between the Indo-Pacific and Europe and the Atlantic.

He also said North Korea has demonstrated hostility by blasting the inter-Korean roadway, which is mostly symbolic but shows that it has intentionally established itself as a threat in two wars on both sides of the planet.

Citing the U.S. self-assessment that China's shipbuilding capabilities are ahead of the U.S., Ambassador Cho said the good news is that South Korea and the U.S. have the ability to cooperate to build a strong industrial base.

At the same time, Korea is the world's second-largest shipbuilding country and has a 30% market share, explaining that it has a reputation for being efficient and excellent in the shipbuilding industry.

Ambassador Cho pointed out, however, that there are challenges and obstacles to cooperation, such as limiting the expansion of defense cooperation with foreign partners under U.S. law that U.S. military ships must be built in the U.S.