Japan has initiated a review of additional sanctions against North Korea and Russia in response to the growing military cooperation between the two nations. NHK reported on Tuesday that the Japanese government is exploring expanded asset freezes targeting both nations.

In a joint press conference on Friday at the APEC summit in Lima, Peru, US President Joe Biden, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, and Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba warned of the latest “dangerous and destabilizing” cooperation between Russia and North Korea.

North Korea is reportedly prepared to dispatch as many as 100,000 troops to assist Russia in its war against Ukraine, according to sources familiar with assessments by some Group of 20 (G20) nations,

A former North Korean soldier has said that troops from the rogue state who are fighting in Russia as part of Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine may look to flee from the front line.