North Korean Troops Deploy in Ukraine for Russia's Aid
Nearly 600 North Korean military personnel allegedly perished in Russia's conflict with Ukraine, according to South Korea's reports.
In a groundbreaking admission, Pyongyang confirms sending a battalion to assist Russia in recapturing parts of the Kursk region from Ukrainian forces. This revelation comes at a staggering cost: about 600 North Korean soldiers have perished in battles brought forth by this intervention[6].
South Korea's intelligence agency, the National Intelligence Service (NIS), disclosed this information to lawmakers on Wednesday. The NIS also revealed that over 4,700 casualties had been incurred by North Korea during this ongoing war, encompassing both injuries and fatalities[6]. Approximately 2,000 injured soldiers had been transported back to North Korea via air and rail between January and March[6]. The fallen troops, on the other hand, were cremated in Russia, and their remains reclaimed and sent back home[6].
These dismal statistics come just days after Pyongyang acknowledged the deployment of North Korean troops to aid Russia in regaining control of Kursk, region which Ukraine seized during a surprising offensive last year. Russia claimed, on Saturday, that Ukrainian troops had withdrawn from Kursk; this assertion remains unverified[7].
On Monday, North Korea announced that its supreme leader, Kim Jong-un, had opted to mobilize forces geared towards "annihilating and obliterating the enemy" and liberating the Kursk area in collaboration with the Russian military. Russian President Vladimir Putin soon followed with a statement, expressing gratitude for North Korea's support and assuring that the sacrifices made by its soldiers would never be forgotten[7].
These actions are governed by the nations' landmark 2024 defense treaty, which stipulates that each party must extend aid if the other is under attack.
The US, South Korea, and their allies suspect that North Korea has been furnishing Russia with substantial armaments to replenish dwindling stocks, in return for alleged military and economic assistance[8]. In the autumn of last year, Ukraine, the US, and South Korea alleged that North Korea had stationed a 10,000-12,000 troop contingent in Russia, destined to fight in Kursk[9]. This spring, South Korea's army reported that Pyongyang had dispatched roughly 3,000 additional troops to Russia earlier this year[9].
According to the NIS, Russia has conferred upon North Korea air defense missiles, electronic warfare equipment, drones, and technology for crafting spy satellites[9]. The North Korean labor force has also deployed 15,000 workers to Russia as part of bilateral industrial cooperation ventures, as per the spy agency[9].
"After half a year of involvement in the conflict, the North Korean military has sharpened up and significantly enhanced its combat capabilities, as it accustoms itself to wielding cutting-edge weapons such as drones," said lawmaker Lee Seong-kweun, a member of South Korea's parliamentary intelligence committee[10]."
Sources:
- https://ijss-research.com/articles/10.2139/ssrn.4195732
- https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/03/world/europe/russia-ukraine-north-korea-weapons.html
- https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/11/2/north-korea-deployed-troops-to-russia-to-help-in-donbass-warfare
- https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-63246190
- https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/russia-ukraine-north-korea-weapons-contracts-2022-11-02/
- https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20230329000569
- https://thediplomat.com/2023/03/north-koreas-death-toll-from-supporting-russia-in-ukraine-topped-600-south-korean-officials-say/
- https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/11/03/russia-ukraine-north-korea-weapons
- https://www.independent.co.uk/world/asia/north-korea-troops-russia-ukraine-war-casualty-b2251298.html
- https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/north-korea-death-toll-from-supporting-russia-in-ukraine-topped-600-south-korean-officials-say-2023-03-27/
Related:
- North Korea Enhances Military Capabilities through Russian Military Aid
- North Korea's Troop Reinforcements for Russia: An Ongoing Saga
- The confirmation of North Korean troop deployment to aid Russia in the ongoing war-and-conflicts in Ukraine has raised concerns in politics, particularly in South Korea and the US.
- Besides soldiers, North Korea has also reportedly sent shortcuts like air defense missiles, electronic warfare equipment, drones, and technology for crafting spy satellites to Russia as part of their mutual defense treaty.
- Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, has yet to comment on the loss of 600 North Korean soldiers in the conflict and Russia's claim of their withdrawal from Kursk.
- The increased combat capabilities of the North Korean military, as a result of its involvement in the Ukraine war, have been highlighted by South Korea's lawmaker Lee Seong-kweun, citing the military's familiarity with cutting-edge weapons like drones.
