North Korea has already supplied Russia with tens of thousands of 155MM shells, along with other military supplies. This is in exchange for the food and oil that this impoverished country desperately needs.
Now, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is sending his troops to fight alongside Russians in Ukraine.
The South Korean defense chief said that the possibility of a similar deployment was highly probable, as Russia and North Korea had signed a treaty that resembled a military alliance. He also added that Pyongyang would likely send more soldiers.
He said that the relationship between Russia and North Korea is becoming almost as close to a military partnership. According to our view, this could mean that more North Korean soldiers are deployed in the conflict.
Minister Kim said it was “highly probable” that six North Koreans were killed in a Ukrainian rocket strike on Donetsk, last week. Kim stated, “We assess that the occurrences of casualties among North Korean soldiers and officers in Ukraine are highly probable, given various circumstances.” He added that they expect North Korea will send more troops to Russia shortly.
Politico:
Russia and North Korea’s ties have been strengthened following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. A defense pact was signed in June when President Vladimir Putin made his first visit to the Asian nation in 25 years.
The agreement, which is the strongest partnership the two have had since the Cold War ended, envisages that Moscow and Pyongyang will provide mutual military support in the event of an attack on either side.
This move has heightened concerns in the West about North Korea providing Moscow with weapons to wage war on Ukraine in exchange for economic assistance and technological transfers.
Washington is most concerned about the “technology transfer”. What exactly is Putin giving Kim in return for this help? No one knows what Putin is giving Kim besides food and oil. If Putin gives Kim who is becoming more bellicose advanced military technology that could spell trouble for Seoul which is watching North Korea make more aggressive moves toward the South.
Bloomberg:
Separately North Korea announced on Wednesday that it would “completely” shut down roads and railroads to South Korea. The state-run KCNA reported this. This move is in line with Kim Jong Un’s stated wish to eliminate any mention of reunification and remove references to this possibility from the North’s constitution.
The deployment of troops will further increase Pyongyang’s cooperation with Moscow. In June, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a deal with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to provide immediate assistance in the event of an attack on one of them. This was Putin’s first trip to North Korea for 24 years. Kim called the agreement “the strongest treaty” between the two nations and one that elevated their ties into an alliance.
Both Koreas have intensified their rhetoric. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has taken a hardline while referring to the reunification of the two Koreas. Kim is poisoned by this, as he ordered that all references to the reunification of Korea be removed from the North’s Constitution.
Kim is often more of a bluffing than he’s a threat. With his newfound friend backing him in Moscow, he might not feel the need to back down.
