North Korean Troops Found Training in Russia

North Korean Soldiers stand guard in the Korean Demilitarized Zone (Flickr)

The United States confirmed the presence of North Korean troops in Russia on October 23. Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un have increased cooperation since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. However, this development could mark the first time a country has stationed foreign troops on its front lines.  

In 2024, Russia and North Korea signed a mutual defense pact, with both sides promising to provide military assistance should the other face invasion. The United States claims that North Korea has already sent ammunition, such as artillery shells, to Russia in return for military technology to boost its nuclear program. The purpose of North Korean deployment was to “ensure Pyongyang has more than enough cash to evade sanctions” and protect its nuclear arsenal, according to senior director of national security affairs at the Centre for the National Interest think tank. Roughly 1,500 North Korean Special Forces troops with Russian uniforms and IDs were found training in Russia, The National Intelligence Service said on October 18. North Korea has sent another 1,500 troops since, aiming to deploy around 10,000 by the end of 2024.

According to the U.S. Defense Secretary Llyod Austin, “what exactly they’re doing is left to be seen.” However, if they do engage in the Russo-Ukrainian war, Ukraine would treat them the same way as they treat their Russian enemies. “There could be dead and wounded North Korean soldiers fighting against Ukraine,” the National Security Council Spokesperson said. South Korea called for an “immediate removal” of North Korean troops. The country’s president, Yoon Suk Yeol, announced that “South Korea will not stand by and do nothing.” The country has only provided non-lethal aid to Ukraine but is now open to providing weapons. According to Yoon’s office, Secretary-General Rutte has “expressed hope that South Korea, Ukraine, and NATO will strengthen defense cooperation and security dialogue in the future to respond to North Korea’s deployment of troops to Russia.” NATO has yet to respond to the comment. With the possibility of increasing outside intervention, President Volodymr Zelensky warned that the conflict could escalate into a world war. Although it could seem improbable, the previous world wars were “similarly underestimated,” according to a senior fellow at George H.W. Bush Foundation for U.S.-China Relations. 

Some believe North Korea's involvement may inspire other countries to engage in a similar response toward Russia in hopes of receiving support. “Other supporting countries may now perceive value in contributing, as North Korea has, to gain favor in Moscow’s eyes,” a Korean member at Centre for Strategic and International Studies said. As the defense pact deepens between North Korea and Russia, China, which has repeatedly proclaimed neutrality during the conflict, is “very uncomfortable with it,” according to Eurasia Group President Ian Bremmer. “If the North Koreans are actually sending troops to fight with the Russians, then clearly the level of Russian willingness to support North Korea, to help defend North Korea, is going to be equivalent. And that really, in many ways, supplants China as North Korea’s most important protector,” said Bremmer.

North Korea relies heavily on its northern neighbor, with 90 percent of its trade coming from China. It will be difficult for North Korea to lose support from Beijing as tensions deepen strategic divisions in the peninsula. Still, North Korea’s increased military cooperation with Russia confirms the two countries’ strengthening alliance that has already caused unease among the United States and its allies.