The involvement of the North Korean military in the war against Ukraine on the side of Russia is becoming increasingly clear, despite conflicting reports and the lack of official confirmation from the Kremlin.The media have reported on the formation of battalions of North Korean soldiers to be sent to the frontline, as well as the deaths of several North Korean officers during missile strikes near Donetsk.These reports resonate internationally, as the DPRK’s involvement in the conflict is a direct challenge to the world order and threatens global security.
South Korea’s response
Following media reports that Russia is forming a battalion of North Korean soldiers, the South Korean Ministry of Defence said it was ‘closely’ monitoring signs that North Korea was sending troops to support Russia in its war against Ukraine.This was reported by Yonhap News Agency, one of the largest and most reputable news agencies in South Korea. It also quotes the statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: “Any cooperation that indirectly or directly helps North Korea to strengthen its military power is a violation of UN Security Council resolutions.We call for an end to illegal military cooperation between Russia and North Korea.”
Armed support for Russia
The head of the Ukrainian Centre for Countering Disinformation, which is part of the National Security and Defence Council, Andriy Kovalenko, wrote a week ago that it was a limited number of military, mainly engineering units, that controlled the use of North Korean weapons by the Russian army.There have already been losses among them.The quality of KN23 ammunition and ballistic missiles is poor, as the DPRK military reports to its leadership.
The Washington Post recalls that the deployment of North Korean troops to Ukraine came after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a mutual defence pact. Kim promised ‘full’ support to Putin in his war against Ukraine.
The pact effectively meant that the leaders of the two heavily sanctioned states deepened their partnership against the Western world order after Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in early 2022.
First, Moscow turned to Pyongyang for military support.It was about large amounts of ammunition, including artillery shells.Now, it seems, Pyongyang has started sending soldiers as well. Although the details of the agreement between Putin and Kim have not been made public, media reports indicate that ‘several thousand’ North Korean soldiers are undergoing training in Russia and could be sent to the front by the end of the year.In addition, dozens of North Korean technicians are likely already in Ukraine to help deploy exported weapons, including KN-23 ballistic missiles.Several of them, who provided technical advice to the Russian military, may be among those killed in a Ukrainian missile strike on Russian-occupied territory near Donetsk. This was reported by the British newspaper The Guardian.
Formation of new units
As part of its alliance with Russia, the North Korean military has announced that an engineering unit will join Russian troops in Donetsk region.So far, there is no photographic or video evidence of this plan.On 14 October, Putin submitted a treaty to the State Duma for ratification, stipulating that each country undertakes to provide military assistance to the other in the event of an attack,
Military expert Oleksandr Musienko notes that the DPRK military may be involved in the war against Ukraine in limited numbers to ‘learn from experience’, in particular in the use of drones. In his opinion, it may initially be only a few thousand troops, but their presence already indicates participation in the conflict.The expert also draws attention to the issues of motivation and ideology that may affect the North Koreans’ willingness to engage in large-scale attacks.He suggests that the Kremlin will attract financial incentives, which will also matter.However, according to him, there are no guarantees that the Koreans will take the money and not flee somewhere else.For example, through Belarus and then as refugees to Poland. Notably, according to The Kyiv Independent, there are already deserters among the Koreans:18 North Korean soldiers deserted their positions in the Kursk and Bryansk regions of Russia near the border with Ukraine.
Strengthening relations between Moscow and Pyongyang
White House Security Council spokesman Sean Savet said that the deployment of DPRK troops to Ukraine, if true, would be a significant step in strengthening defence relations between North Korea and Russia. ‘Such a move also shows a new level of desperation on the part of Russia, which is suffering heavy battlefield losses in its brutal war against Ukraine,’ Savet said in a statement. General Charles Flynn, commander of the US Army in the Indo-Pacific, noted that the involvement of North Korean personnel in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict will provide Pyongyang with real-time feedback on its weapons, which was not previously possible. This feedback raises serious concerns, as it could help improve North Korean weapons and tactics.
What will North Korea get for participating in the war against Ukraine?
The Kim regime could benefit financially and militarily, although close ties with Russia would only deepen its isolation in the international community. North Korea, which has been subject to decades of UN sanctions over its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, is constantly looking for new sources of foreign currency. The supply of arms to the Kremlin will undoubtedly be accompanied by certain compensations.
The country’s already fragile economy was hit hard by the closure of its borders with China, its largest trading partner, during the Covid-19 crisis and has yet to fully recover.
North Korean civilians sent to Ukraine to rebuild destroyed infrastructure in Russian-controlled areas are reportedly another source of income, despite the UN order to repatriate all North Korean labour migrants by the end of 2019.
What economic benefits will the DPRK have?
The war in Ukraine is giving the North Korean military what it has long hoped for: the opportunity to test its new weapons and the readiness of its officers for modern warfare, analysts and South Korean officials have said.
North Korea’s army generals could learn valuable lessons about warfare as the country escalates tensions with South Korea and its allies, and the war in Ukraine provides the regime with an opportunity to assess how well or poorly its munitions and missiles perform in real warfare.
During his visit to the Kremlin, Kim is also known to have discussed possible cooperation in the satellite reconnaissance programme.
Testing new dangerous weapons
Washington has repeatedly warned of growing military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, citing photographic evidence of North Korean weapons, including KN-23 ballistic missiles, being used against Ukraine.
The KN-23 is one of a series of short-range ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear weapons that North Korea has developed and tested in recent years.According to military experts, it will be one of the main weapons North Korea will use against South Korea if a war breaks out on the Korean Peninsula.
North Korea is believed to have sent thousands of shipping containers of artillery shells, missiles and other weapons to Russia after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, according to US and South Korean officials.
Anxiety about the future, adaptation to new conditions, misunderstanding and bullying make them strangers in the world they should call their new home.Lack of desire to learn, fear of peers and a sense of not belonging add to their already traumatised lives.
Poor quality education: lost opportunities
The educational system, which is supposed to provide children with knowledge and encourage them to develop, often fails to fulfil its function.Poor teaching, overloaded curricula and insufficient attention from bureaucratic teachers create an environment where children cannot reach their potential.In today’s world, where the competition for success is becoming increasingly fierce, poor quality education is effectively depriving a child of a future.
Ukrainian schoolchildren are being held hostage by reforms that often do not take into account their real needs.Instead of helping children get a quality education and preparing them for life in the modern world, changes in the educational system often disorient students and teachers, turning the learning process into chaos.
At the same time, the war in Ukraine is becoming a testing ground for Pyongyang’s weapons, which could lead to further escalation on other fronts, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region.
