Rep. Mike Turner, the chair of the House Intelligence Committee, stated on Wednesday that the U.S. should think about “direct military action” in Ukraine if North Korean forces invade.

Turner mentioned in a post on X, “If North Korean troops were to invade Ukraine’s territorial integrity, then the United States must seriously explore options for direct military action against them.”

The United States has been supplying Ukraine with military aid since the war’s inception but has refrained from engaging in actions that might lead to direct hostilities with Russia. An armed conflict involving the U.S. and Russia could also trigger a response from NATO allies, including Canada and 28 European nations, as outlined in Article 5 of the alliance, which states that an attack on one member is considered an attack on all.

This statement follows the U.S. confirming for the first time that North Korean soldiers are actively fighting with Russian forces in Ukraine.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin remarked on Wednesday that “there is evidence” of North Korean military personnel in Russia, labeling their involvement as a “very, very serious issue.”

He told reporters during a visit to Rome, “If they are acting as co-belligerents and intend to fight on behalf of Russia in this conflict, that poses a significant concern.”

White House Officials State North Korean Troops Are ‘Legitimate Military Targets’

According to John Kirby, spokesperson for the National Security Council at the White House, if North Korean soldiers engage in combat in Ukraine, they “will become legitimate military targets.”

Kirby indicated that the U.S. believes at least 3,000 North Korean soldiers were transported by boat to Vladivostok, located on Russia’s eastern coast and later moved to various military installations in the region.

He expressed uncertainty about whether these troops would fight alongside Russian forces but acknowledged that this is a “highly concerning possibility.” He added, “After their training, these soldiers might move to western Russia and possibly engage in combat against Ukrainian forces.”

During a summit on Thursday, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Polish President Andrzej Duda condemned the troop deployment, stating, “We agree that North Korea’s sending of troops to Russia represents a direct breach of U.N. Security Council resolutions and the U.N. Charter, posing a threat to global security that transcends both the Korean Peninsula and Europe.”

On Monday, Seoul conferred with the U.S. regarding the alleged troop deployment. South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun summoned the Russian ambassador that day to denounce the “illegal military collaboration,” calling it a violation of international law and a risk to South Korea’s security, as noted in a foreign ministry statement.

Kim stated, “We will work with the international community to mobilize all possible means against any actions that threaten our core security interests.”

South Korean legislators reported on Wednesday that around 3,000 North Korean soldiers were believed to be in Russia, a figure that is double the assessment provided by the South Korean Intelligence Service the previous week. The intelligence agency collaborated with Ukrainian counterparts and utilized facial recognition technology and AI to monitor North Korean military personnel in Russia.

The Kremlin has dismissed these claims as “fake news,” while a North Korean representative to the U.N. labeled them “baseless rumors” during a meeting on Monday.

Since the onset of the war in Ukraine, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has strengthened ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin. In a rare visit to North Korea in June, Putin signed a collaborative defense agreement with Kim, who voiced his support for Russia’s actions in Ukraine.

Additionally, North Korea has already contributed significant amounts of artillery shells to aid Russia’s military efforts.