North Korean troops have reportedly joined Russian forces in the ongoing conflict against Ukraine, with over 12,000 soldiers deployed to the Kursk region. This development has raised concerns among international communities, especially the United States. They have warned that North Korea is gaining valuable combat experience, which could bolster Pyongyang's military capabilities against its neighbors.
The United Nations Security Council recently convened to discuss North Korea's latest missile test, an intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile. North Korea's UN ambassador, Kim Song, defended this action, emphasizing it as a strategy to enhance the country's defense capabilities.
“When the civilian death toll exceeded 45,000 in Gaza, United States embellished Israel’s nefarious mass killing atrocity as the right to self-defence … Meanwhile, it takes issue with legitimate exercise of the right to self-defence of the DPRK,” – Kim Song, North Korea’s UN ambassador
The US has accused Russia of providing North Korea with satellite and space technology, an allegation vehemently denied by Pyongyang's UN ambassador Joonkook Hwang. He dismissed these claims as unfounded and labeled them a tactic to tarnish the cooperation between Russia and North Korea.
“Such statements are the latest example of baseless conjecture which is geared towards smearing bilateral cooperation between the Russian Federation and the friendly nation of the DPRK,” – Vassily Nebenzia, Russia’s UN ambassador
Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, diplomatic and military ties between Russia and North Korea have strengthened. This relationship has become a focal point for international scrutiny, given North Korea's long-standing UN sanctions aimed at curbing its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.
A senior US official expressed concerns that North Korea's involvement in the conflict benefits Kim Jong-un's regime significantly.
“is significantly benefiting from receiving Russian military equipment, technology and experience, rendering it more capable of waging war against its neighbours” – Dorothy Camille Shea, the deputy US ambassador to the UN
Russia, using its veto power in the 15-member UN Security Council, maintains a significant influence over proceedings related to these sanctions. Meanwhile, North Korea's presence in Russia has been characterized by some officials as a desperate measure by its regime.
“essentially slaves to Kim Jong-un, brainwashed to sacrifice their lives on faraway battlefields to raise money for his regime and secure advanced military technology from Russia” – Joonkook Hwang, South Korea’s UN ambassador