South Korea has assessed whether North Korea will send troops to Putin

According to estimates by international analysts and statements by Ukrainian officials, North Korea is preparing to send an additional contingent of about 30,000 military personnel to Russia. This expansion of the military-technical alliance is based on the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty signed between Moscow and Pyongyang in 2024.

Oh Kyung-seop, a senior researcher at the Korean Institute for National Unification, said this is a highly plausible scenario. 

The cooperation is considered mutually beneficial for both regimes. The Kremlin gains cheap manpower and the ability to replenish its forces without announcing an unpopular mobilization within the country. Pyongyang, in turn, would gain financial resources, access Russian technology to modernize its military (particularly in the areas of UAVs, satellites, and intelligence), and provide its soldiers with real-world experience in modern warfare. In addition, North Korea has ramped up production of KN-23 and KN-24 ballistic missiles for subsequent export to Russia.

At the same time, deploying troops carries significant risks for Kim Jong Un. These include the threat of desertion, potential losses among elite special forces, the spread of unwanted information about the outside world within the DPRK, and psychological trauma among the troops. Some analysts suggest that the new contingent may be deployed not as assault infantry, but to secure the rear and support long-range artillery.

Source: South China Morning Post.