Japan's Foreign Minister, Takeshi Iwaya, expressed grave concerns on Saturday about North Korean troops reportedly participating in the Ukraine conflict.

Axar.az reports that citing France Press, speaking during his visit to Ukraine, Iwaya warned that this development could have "extremely significant" consequences for East Asian security.

His remarks follow reports suggesting that North Korea has dispatched thousands of troops to Russia, with claims that these forces are already operating in the Kursk border region.

“This will not only deepen the severity of the Ukraine situation, but also have extremely significant implications for east Asia’s security situation,” Iwaya said. “We are seriously concerned over this development, and strongly condemn it.”

He told that “our stance remains unchanged that Japan will stand side by side with Ukraine.”