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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Image provided by the United Kingdom-based investigative group Conflict Armament Research shows a Korean character handwritten on a Russian missile component. (Conflict Armament Research)

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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Russian President Vladimir Putin, second left in front, and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un, second right in front, examine a rocket assembly hangar during their meeting at the Vostochny cosmodrome outside the city of Tsiolkovsky, about 200 kilometers (125 miles) from the city of Blagoveshchensk in the far eastern Amur region, Russia. (Artyom Geodakyan, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

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.

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Fragments of missiles are seen in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Earlier this month, the Russian army launched a missile attack on the city center of Kharkiv, injuring 62 people and killing two others. Experts believe these missiles are being produced by North Korea. (Ivan Samoilov for Gwara Media/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)

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.