North Korea and Russia’s dangerous new alliance

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North Korea and Russia’s dangerous new alliance

Published: 29 Apr. 2025, 00:00

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

An image released on Ukraine's SPRAVDI social media account shows soldiers believed to be part of the North Korean army. [SPRAVDI/YONHAP]

North Korea has officially acknowledged for the first time that it has deployed a large number of troops to aid Russia in its war against Ukraine. Monday, through state-run media including the Rodong Sinmun, Pyongyang disclosed a statement from the Workers’ Party Central Military Commission, asserting that “Chairman Kim Jong-un personally decided on the deployment” and that North Korean special operations forces made a “significant contribution” to the “liberation” of the Kursk region. This admission followed Russia’s claim on April 26 that North Korean forces played a major role in its recapture of territory in Ukraine. North Korea, however, did not disclose the scale of its deployment or any future plans.

That Pyongyang, which had previously denied any involvement, has now officially confirmed its troop deployment is itself a serious security concern for South Korea. Notably, North Korea stated that the deployment was carried out under the “Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership” between Pyongyang and Moscow. Under this treaty, signed last June, Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed that “if either party comes under armed attack and enters a state of war, the other will provide military assistance by all means.” North Korea and Russia now claim that the troop dispatches to Ukraine were made under this agreement — raising the unsettling possibility that Russia could justify intervening militarily on the Korean Peninsula in the event of a crisis. Historically, Russia (then the Soviet Union) played a decisive role in shaping North Korea into a socialist state by advancing into the peninsula in August 1945 under the pretext of fighting Japanese forces. Russia is once again emerging as a potential security threat in Northeast Asia.

The South Korean government must urgently strengthen diplomatic efforts with Russia to prevent fallout from the North Korea-Russia “rogue alliance” that could destabilize the Korean Peninsula. Particular attention must be paid to North Korea’s use of the Ukrainian battlefield as a live testing ground for its new military hardware, including multiple rocket launchers, long-range artillery and various types of missiles. The combat experience North Korean troops gain on the ground directly heightens the threat to South Korean security.

Since coming to power, Kim Jong-un has relentlessly pursued nuclear development while also modernizing North Korea’s conventional weapons — including short-, medium-, and long-range missiles, as well as heavy artillery. On April 25, North Korea launched a new destroyer believed to be equipped with advanced radar, demonstrating a military buildup across both land and sea. At a time when President Donald Trump is mentioning the possible redeployment of U.S. troops stationed in South Korea, Pyongyang’s military maneuvers must not be underestimated.

A wounded soldier, suspected to be North Korean and captured by Ukrainian forces in Russia's western Kursk region, is seen in this file photo posted on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's X account on Jan. 11. [YONHAP]

Amid the domestic turmoil caused by the presidential impeachment and Korea-U.S. trade negotiations, Seoul must not neglect efforts to strengthen the South Korea-U.S. alliance to deter North Korean military threats. Reports that the Swedish ambassador to North Korea has recently visited Washington for discussions related to U.S.-North Korea dialogue offer a glimmer of diplomatic movement, but they are no substitute for vigilance.

Candidates running in the early presidential election must also pay close attention to the growing North Korea-Russia ties and North Korea’s expanding military capabilities. They should actively propose measures to enhance South Korea’s defense capabilities. In matters of national security, there is no divide between progressive and conservative politics.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.