One of the three generals leading North Korean troops in Russia is Kim Yeon-bok, whose appearance in public space is extremely rare – an unusual trait for North Korea's military elite. Although he is among the ten most important military figures in the country, information about him is scarce, notes the American newspaper The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), quoted by Focus.
Colonel General Kim, who serves as the Army's vice chief of staff, is charged with tasks such as integrating North Korean forces with Russian forces, accumulating combat experience and creating channels for future deployments.
„Colonel General Kim is not expected to participate in combat operations. But sending one of North Korea's most important figures shows that the country is seriously committed to supporting Russia until next year”, writes the WSJ.
Until recently, the 200,000-strong special forces unit commanded by Kim carried out secret missions in the event of war on the Korean peninsula. After Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to North Korea in June, however, the colonel general began to take a more central place in Pyongyang's public statements.
North Korea singles out General Kim to show Russia that it is sending a credible and high-ranking representative to coordinate military action. According to the Korea Institute for Defense Analysis, this underscores the seriousness of North Korea's commitments to Russia.
Information about the colonel general remains limited – the South Korean government database contains only his name and title. Age, hometown or other biographical details are not available, which is unusual for North Korea's military elite.
In 2015, Kim was appointed head of North Korea's special forces, and a year later became a member of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party. In July 2020, he appeared at a general awards ceremony, photographed close to leader Kim Jong-un. After that, however, his name almost disappeared from public life until March of this year, when it became clear that he was among the three generals in charge of North Korean troops in Russia.
Observers note that his successful performance in Russia could propel him further up the ranks of the North Korean military.