Cooperation with Russia worries South Korea: Can count on military help in the future
About 12,000 North Korean soldiers are in Russia, according to Ukraine’s intelligence service. According to Mats Engman, head of ISDP’s Korea Center, it is about an “extremely small part” of North Korea’s total defense force.
– It does not affect North Korea’s defense capability, which has a strength of over one million, says Mats Engman, head of ISDP’s Korea Center.
The US, South Korea and NATO have all confirmed that North Korean soldiers have been deployed to Russia. According to Ukraine’s intelligence service, it is about 12,000 North Korean soldiers who have now started fighting in the Kursk region and are expected to enter Ukraine within the next few days.
At the same time, the tone between North Korea and South Korea is rising.
“Extremely marginal part”
But the transfer of thousands of soldiers to Russia does not affect North Korea’s defense capabilities in the event of a possible escalation in the conflict with South Korea, according to Mats Engman, head of ISDP’s Korea Center.
– They have a defense force of over one million troops, so this is about an extremely marginal part of their total defense force, says Mats Engman.
Engman also emphasizes that it has not yet been confirmed with certainty that these are combat units that will be sent into battle, or whether the soldiers will only help with other tasks.
– There are many different tasks that they could help with. For example, protection and surveillance, rebuilding parts of Russia or maintenance support and technical support, he says.
At the same time, Engman adds that if the troops sent to Russia consist of specialized units trained for certain specific purposes, North Korea’s defense capabilities could be weakened to some extent. But in that case it would not have any major impact, and would not have any major significance for the conflict between South Korea and North Korea.
“Pure combat experience”
The North Korean Defense Forces have not participated in combat since 1953, and putting these units into combat could mean they get “clean combat experience” of modern warfare. Something that benefits North Korea, says Engman.
– If you help Russia in this way, you get something back in the form of, for example, technical or financial support in, for example, the agricultural sector where North Korea has great needs, he says.
– There are many sectors where North Korea can get help.
But it can also bind the countries closer together. Something that particularly benefits North Korea because Russia sits on the Security Council and can influence decisions in the UN Security Council, and thus block decisions that are not in North Korea’s favor, Engman explains.
Worries South Korea
South Korea is concerned by the development and has demanded that Russia send its troops home. The country is now also considering support for Ukraine.
– It is troublesome for South Korea because North Korea can count on military help from Russia in the event of an escalation in the Korean Peninsula.
North Korea has not commented on the data.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the allegations “contradictory”, but at the same time did not deny them. He also stated that the cooperation between North Korea and Russia is not aimed at “third countries”.