How many North Korean soldiers are there in Russia and what are they doing there? It is not yet known, but the "deal" between Pyongyang and Moscow is causing concern worldwide.
That Russia and North Korea cooperate is not new. In June, the leaders of the two countries agreed on mutual support in the field of security. North Korea is also believed to be supplying weapons to Russia's war in Ukraine. And the secret services of Kiev announced that a contingent from North Korea had arrived in the occupied territories of Ukraine as early as 2023.
3000 North Korean soldiers in Russia?
Now, however, South Korean intelligence has announced that Pyongyang wants to provide up to 12,000 troops for Russia's war against Ukraine, of which 3,000 have already arrived. According to information from Seoul, they were given Russian uniforms to conceal their identities. DV's fact-checking team was able to confirm that footage provided by South Korean intelligence showed locations in Russia's Eastern Military District. So far, neither Russia nor North Korea has officially confirmed this.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, in turn, said that his country would not stand idly by. He described sending North Korean soldiers to Russia as a provocation that threatens global security. South Korea is already considering specific measures to respond - diplomatically and economically. For the first time, the delivery of weapons to Ukraine is being discussed, writes ARD.
At the moment there is little concrete information and a lot of speculation, Niko Lange, senior researcher at the Munich Security Conference, told DV. "But there is no doubt that the North Koreans are in Russia for training. And there is also no doubt that for some time now - namely, recently after Vladimir Putin's visit to Pyongyang - construction units of the North Korean armed forces have been operating in the occupied territories in Ukraine." At the same time, Lange warns: "One should not automatically conclude that 12,000 North Korean soldiers are fighting alongside the Russians in the trenches of Ukraine. So far we do not see such a thing.
Ukraine wants more Western aid against Putin's new alliance
However, this is a worrying development for Ukraine. Kyiv is worried about further support: the so-called "plan to win" of President Volodymyr Zelensky failed to produce the desired effect. And Ukraine should also fear that Donald Trump, who wants to reduce military aid and recently even blamed Zelensky for the invasion of Russia, will win the US presidential elections in early November.
Zelensky himself made it clear over the weekend that Kiev's partners must react to the "clear evidence": "If the world is silent now and if we soon see North Korean soldiers on the front, it will not benefit anyone in the world and will only prolong the war", the Ukrainian president emphasized.
How the US will react is of great importance - after all, Washington is not only the most important supporter of Ukraine, but also a key ally of South Korea. In addition, the US is the first NATO country to talk about "evidence” about the presence of North Korean military in Russia. "If they are going to join the war on the side of Russia, that would be a very, very serious problem," said US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
However, this problem will have to be solved by the next American president, whoever he is, according to expert Lange. "At the moment I don't see the big countries in Europe coming together to develop a common strategy. What do we want to achieve in Ukraine? What are we doing against Russia and its supporters? And how do we act together? But that's exactly what's needed," says Lange. The fact that Europe has not yet reacted to the alleged deployment of North Korean troops is a "fatal omission," said Roderich Kiesewetter (CDU), a foreign policy expert at Germany's largest opposition party.
Cooperation is unlikely to be long-lasting
Andrei Lankov, professor of history and international relations at Kookmin University in Seoul, commented to DV that Russia can only benefit from attracting the North Koreans, because this will allow it to avoid a new mobilization. "War is generally popular in Russia, but only if most people do not participate in hostilities and the war does not affect their daily lives," Lankov emphasizes. According to him, there are fewer and fewer men in Russia ready to put their lives on the line, even for the financial benefits offered.
In return, North Korea wants money and technology. "Contract soldiers in the Russian army receive $2,000 a month plus a one-time bonus that can reach up to $20,000. Pyongyang would be happy to receive at least half of this amount for each soldier sent,'' says Lankov. Advanced technology is also desired: "Under other circumstances, Russia would never be willing to share technology with an unstable country like North Korea, but now it has no choice." However, the expert believes that the cooperation will not be long-lasting. After the end of the war in Ukraine, relations will return to their previous level, because then North Korea will no longer be of economic interest to Moscow.