North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un concluded his six-day trip to Russia on Sunday, beginning his journey home via his personal armored train. Much like a tourist, he reportedly returned home with a number of souvenirs, including five explosive “kamikaze” drones, a reconnaissance drone, and a “bulletproof vest” – gifts from a regional Russian governor.
The visit to the Russian Far East was Kim’s first official trip abroad since the COVID-19 pandemic, and the North Korean leader met directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin last week as the pair toured a space launch facility. Kim also visited a number of military sites, shipyards, and aircraft factories.
Closer Ties between North Korea and Russia
The trip marked the closer ties between Moscow and Pyongyang, and the potential technology sharing has worried many in the West. Putin has offered to provide assistance that could allow North Korea to launch a spy satellite into space – as its technology is decades behind Russia’s.
As the BBC reported, helping put a satellite in space so North Korea can watch its enemies is vastly different from the Kremlin aiding a nuclear and missiles program banned by the UN Security Council. Pyongyang has nuclear warhead-topped intercontinental ballistic missiles which in theory could reach the U.S. – yet they can’t fly through space successfully. Moscow could provide the technology to Pyongyang, which could put the U.S. within striking distance.
North Korea could perhaps pay back the debt – as well as an even older debt to Moscow – by supporting the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine. Already North Korea has provided ordnance to Moscow, but it could next provide something else in seemingly short supply – namely troops!
While Kim wouldn’t likely officially support the war, it is possible “volunteers” from North Korea could bolster the Kremlin’s forces.
Foreign Volunteers
North Korea wouldn’t be the only Russian ally to send such volunteers, as there have been reports of Syrians fighting for Russia.
Another Russian partner has been less eager to aid Moscow however.
Earlier this month, Cuba arrested 17 over the alleged recruitment of its citizens to fight for Russia in Ukraine, claiming some of the recruits were misled into believing they’d be working in Russia, not fighting in its war.
The two nations are political allies and Cubans do not require a visa to travel to Russia – and many go there to study or to work. It now appears that some have been recruited to fight in Ukraine, as Russian law allows foreign nationals to enlist in its military. However, Cuban law generally doesn’t allow its citizens to serve as mercenaries, even as its military advisors had provided aid to a number of nations and insurgent forces during the Cold War.
A North Korean Legion?
The Korean People’s Army, which was founded as an anti-Japanese guerilla force in 1932, took its current form 75 years ago with the establishment of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). It is the armed wing of the Workers’ Party of Korea and considers its primary adversaries to be the Republic of Korea Armed Forces and the United States Forces Korea, across the Korean Demilitarized Zone.
It is now the second largest military organization in the world, with 29.9 percent of the North Korean population actively serving, in reserve or in a paramilitary capacity. This includes some 200,000 Special Forces troops.
North Korea is technically still at war with its neighbor to the South, but it hasn’t officially been involved in a conflict abroad – yet Pyongyang has sent its forces to support its allies in a number of conflicts, including the Vlora Incident in Albania in the 1960s, the Simba Rebellion in the Congo in 1964, the Communist insurgency in Thailand, and most notably the Vietnam War.
The role in that latter conflict was downplayed, and in fact, it was only in 2011 after Romania released a classified document from that Cold War that it was noted that North Korea dispatched personnel to Vietnam to carry out psychological warfare against the nearly 313,000 South Korean troops sent to fight against the North Vietnamese between 1965 and 1973. A North Korean Air Force regiment was also sent to help defend the skies of North Vietnam from U.S. air attacks.
More recently, North Korea has provided support in the civil wars in Ethiopia, Angola, Sri Lanka, and Yemen. Though the number of troops was small, North Korea’s military has likely gained much experience in guerilla warfare tactics that could be useful to the Kremlin.
Though it is unclear if Kim and Putin actually discussed the sending of any “volunteers,” it should be noted that Moscow played a significant role in the Korean War aiding the North.
Though it denied it at the time, it is now a known fact that the Soviet Union provided diplomatic support, as well as strategic and grand tactical planning – while more importantly, it supplied and trained the air forces of both China and North Korea. In addition, Soviet “volunteer” pilots flew aircraft with Chinese or North Korean markings, and after the war even claimed to have shot down more than 400 aircraft.
Perhaps Kim will repay that debt with some ground forces.
Author Experience and Expertise
A Senior Editor for 19FortyFive, Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu.
David N. Tate
September 18, 2023 at 4:09 pm
The United States and other NATO member states are providing large numbers of Special Operations personnel and thousands of military trainers. The US and NATO member states have deployed a number of combat ready divisions along the Russian border in the vicinity of Kaliningrad and the Baltic States. The US and NATO member states have provided hundreds-of-billions of dollars to fund the Ukrainian government and pay the Ukrainian military. The United States and NATO member states provide “real time intelligence” to facilitate targeting and enhance Ukrainian combat operations. The US and NATO provide the Ukraine with military and economic aid far in excess of anything that North Korea can provide.
Now, as to North Korean Soldiers deploying to the Ukriane. The Russian Federation and North Korea really don’t have the ability to conduct combined operations. The logistics chain from North Korea to Western Russia simply doesn’t exist. The Russians would not be able to provide the resources that the North Koreans would need, including food, medical supplies, transportation, training areas, or other resources. Any deployment of North Koreans into the combat zone would be a logistical disaster. Conversely, the United States is a global hegemon with logistics and transportation assets that are able to flex and include the Ukraine.
TheDon
September 18, 2023 at 5:31 pm
Awww Pwtin, so embawarssing.
pagar
September 18, 2023 at 5:56 pm
Sending men to Ukraine would be stupid.
Best to advise Putin the rapidly ageing leader of Russia to END THE US PROXY WAR now by use of nukes against the ukro forces.
Putin should not forget the russian-speaking inhabitants who were mercilessly killed by Right Sector extremists following the CIA-backed Feb 2014 putsch.
Asia’s survival tomorrow now depends on Russo victory today against the ukros.
If the US and its minions win in ukraine, they would make their hitlerian move against recalcitrant countries in Asia.
Ben Leucking
September 18, 2023 at 8:42 pm
Sadly, these North Korean “volunteers” would probably get more calories fighting for Russia than they get at home. I wonder, though, if they realize that Russia’s primary military doctrine is to use troops as human cannon fodder.
Commentar
September 19, 2023 at 12:53 am
Ukrainian army has lost 80 to 85 percent of the soldiers who were freshly drafted for the recent big hullabaloo, or ‘counter-offensive’ which was a big trick played by the west, chiefly the UK & US, on the Ukrainian people.
According to Lt. colonel vitaly berezhny, head of Ukraine territorial recruitment center, out of every 100 men drafted for the recent counter-offensive, only 10 to 20 are still fighting fit.
The rest, well, either already dead, wounded, disabled or simply gone missing.
What about the super weapons promised by Biden and co for use in the counter-offensive.
They are either already destroyed, abandoned in the field, or not yet delivered.
Wait for the amazing super f-16 fighter jets as promised by joe.Coming next year.
Koreans really don’t have to or shouldn’t have to bother about no white man’s war.
dave
September 19, 2023 at 3:52 am
All those western mercenaries are sorry they ever came to Ukraine. Same with the NATO leaders buried in rubble a few times.
George Gordon Byron
September 19, 2023 at 4:02 am
For David N. Tate:
1) Yours: “The logistics chain from North Korea to the Western part of Russia simply does not exist”:
1.1) The USA has a special geography of Southeast Asia…
And what about the Yellow Sea and the Sea of Japan drying up?
Or is North Korea no longer on the Korean Peninsula?
Or have the DPRK ports been destroyed?
The Russian-North Korean border is 39.4 (according to other sources – 39.1) km long, including 17.3 (16.9 or 17) km river and 22.1 (22.2) km sea.
1.2) Across the Tumannaya River (Tumangan), 800 m southwest of Khasan station (where the Japanese militarists were defeated by the USSR), the Friendship railway bridge was built between the borders of Russia and the DPRK.
And it’s not difficult to throw pontoon bridges.
Railways in Russia are quite extensive from east to west, from north to south.
2) Yours: “The Russians would not be able to provide the resources that the North Koreans will need”
Answer: They could do it before, they can do it now, they can do it in the future.
3) Yours: “The United States is a global hegemon with logistics and transport assets that can flexibly use Ukraine.”
Answer: The USA has a special history of wars…
The strength and power of this hegemon with a bunch of satellites has been tested since 1945: the results are sad for the hegemon and his satellites.
Should I tell you about the dozens of countries with which I fought with no positive effect from the actions of the USA, EU, NATO?
For Ben Lakeing:
Answer: Does Ben Lakeing understand that saying “Russia’s core military doctrine is to use troops as cannon fodder” is complete nonsense?
The new Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Umerov, said that “The Verkhovna Rada needs to think: why can guys make children from the age of 16 with us, but serve only from the age of 18?” Well, the idea is not new. …bandera youth.
Cheburator
September 19, 2023 at 8:13 am
David N. Tate
Can you tell Australia from Austria or Switzerland from Sweden?
How has the education system degraded?
Russia and North Korea have a land border. Why do they need some kind of third supply chain?
In addition, Russia can use the northern sea route. Russian ships can freely sail from Murmansk to any North Korean port on the Sea of Japan, without even leaving territorial waters.
Sofronie the Monk
September 19, 2023 at 9:19 am
@pagar: Awwww, the locals rising up and killing the colonists from the imperial power that oppressed them for centuries…
Weren’t you Russian guys pretty happy and supportive when it happened in Africa to the French or Brits? Kinda sucks when it happens to you, doesn’t it?
Jim
September 19, 2023 at 10:17 am
North Korea is unlikely to send soldiers to fight.
But, what might happen?
North Korea could send civilian workers to Russia to work in essential industries (war industries).
Now, Russia would want this to be low key… low visibility.
And, Russia would rather not do this… they would rather rely on their own workers… pulling the whole society into the war effort… and, full employment.
But, Russia will do what they believe is necessary to come away from this conflict with a satisfactory end.
Andrew Winter
September 19, 2023 at 12:39 pm
OH Good!
Yet another opportunity, not had sense the Korean War, to demonstrate to N. Korea that their ground troops provide excellent cannon fodder, and will help to keep Ukrainian artillery in good practice.
Go N. Korea!
Slava Ukra-inhe
Ben d'Mydogtags
September 19, 2023 at 12:47 pm
Kim needs to get rid of surplus population and reduce the number of mouths to feed. Any “Korean People’s Volunteer Forces” will probably follow the modus operandi of the Chinese People’s Volunteer Forces used back during the Korean war. They deployed in human waves followed up by commissars with burp-guns to immediately shoot down any who faltered or tried to flee. Typically the CPV forces were only issued one rifle per three troops; with one man given the rifle, another given just a magazine, and the third told to pick up the rifle and magazine after the other two get killed.
Roger Marris
September 19, 2023 at 12:57 pm
Time for South Korea to start attacks on the North. They have been passive for too long.
GhostTomahawk
September 19, 2023 at 2:43 pm
So it’s ok for the west to provide modern equipment munitions vehicles and planes with the “advisors” to go along with drones and satellite intelligence…. but not for Russia to get help?
Got it.
Webej
September 19, 2023 at 4:56 pm
» Already North Korea has provided ordnance to Moscow «
Prove it. Any evidence? Shell fragments with Korean lettering?
Russia has blundered a lot.
Obviously trusting their allies and loitering at the 37th parallel was a huge mistake in 1945. They could easily have pushed the Japanese out in a week in view of the speed of their Manchurian campaign.
That would have preempted the Yanks from taking over the reins from the Japanese occupiers, refusing to acknowledge the Korean resistance (and provisional government) who came out to greet them in Busan.
Since then, the Russians have erred quite often trusting the fork-tongued iconoclasts.
If Koreans come to Russia, it will be for educational exchange, work experience programs, and as migrant labor in the Far East.
George Gordon Byron
September 20, 2023 at 12:07 am
For Andrew Winter:
1) Yours: “Another opportunity, which did not make sense in a special military operation, to demonstrate to Ukraine that their ground forces are excellent cannon fodder and will help keep Russian artillery in good condition.”
Answer: (from the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Umerov) it is necessary to call up all 16 year old Andrew Winters, since the older Andrew Winters are running out.
Go North Korea!
Salo to Ukraine!
For Ben d’Majdogtegi
1) Yours: “Kim needs to get rid of the surplus population and reduce the number of mouths to feed…”, “Any “Korean People’s Volunteer Force” will likely follow the modus operandi of the Chinese People’s Volunteer Force…”
Answer: Comrade Kim told you this, or Monk Sophrony?
2) Yours: “They turned around in waves of people, followed by commissars with machine guns…” “Usually the CPV forces were issued only one rifle for three soldiers.”
Answer: it is strange that with such pitiful opponents, the great USA, Great Britain, France, NATO and other Western satellites like the numerous Ben d’Maidogtegi have lost numerous wars to them since 1945, using all their power of the Air Force, Navy and Ground Forces and inhumane methods waging war.
Perhaps there is something wrong with the numerous Bens d’Mydogtegi?
George Gordon Byron
September 20, 2023 at 12:15 am
For Roger Marris:
Yours: “It’s time for South Korea to start attacking the North. Have they been passive for too long?”
Answer: Apparently, South Korea has more smart leaders than the countries of Roger and Marris.
In southern Korea, they have long calculated their possible losses from the war with the DPRK.
Sofronie the Monk
September 21, 2023 at 10:18 am
Easy there, Georgy, you might blow a fuse and you know how hard it is to find quality replacement parts in Russia these days…
Why don’t you tell us instead how great North Korea actually is and how in the GDP/ROFLMFAOWMBBQ rankings they’ve actually surpassed the US and are indeed the Best Korea.
@Webej: I’m pretty sure every South Korean regrets that they didn’t get to live under the wonderful Communist regime. Everyone can see how much better the North Koreans live compared to them. I mean, who needs food when you have Communism, right?!
George Gordon Byron
September 22, 2023 at 1:41 am
For Monk Sophrony:
1) Yours: “Do you know how difficult it is to find high-quality spare parts in Russia these days…”
Answer: please provide the source of your statements?
The rush for auto components in the spring and summer of 2022 was already replaced by winter by a huge number of offers of both original and non-original spare parts. Thanks to parallel imports, some of the products of brands that left Russia are purchased and successfully sold. The share of private labels is actively growing. These products are mainly from Turkey and China.
2) Yours: “Why don’t you instead tell us how big Romania really is and how in the ranking of the poorest countries led by Ukraine, Romania and Moldova are “honorable”
Ukraine – 1st place in poverty
Moldova
Kosovo
Albania
Bosnia and Herzegovina
North Macedonia
Belarus
Serbia
Croatia
Bulgaria
Greece
Montenegro
Romania
Latvia
Slovakia
Portugal is 16th in poverty.
3) Why discuss the country of the DPRK, which is under sanctions? It’s better to discuss the non-prosperous Romania…. whose well-being depends on Romanian guest workers in other countries.
4) Why did Ruinia betray her beloved Nazi Germany already in 1944?
Webej
September 22, 2023 at 12:53 pm
@Sophronie
Absent the Korean War, Korea would have developed along much the same pathway that Vietnam did after the war. Asians are practical & pragmatic, even in China after Mao’s cultural revolution. Communism was a vehicle for nationalism and extricating themselves from an imperial heritage.
You forgot to mention the oppression and mass murders the USA occupying force committed in S Korea, not to mention killing 1/3 of N Koreans and having to halt the bombing campaign because there were no structures left to destroy.