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Shoigu's return to Pyongyang signals solidified North Korea-Russia military cooperation

Published: 17 Jun. 2025, 18:11 Updated: 17 Jun. 2025, 18:35

Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu attends a Security Council meeting in Moscow on Oct. 10, 2024. [AP/YONHAP]

Sergei Shoigu, secretary of Russia’s Security Council, traveled to Pyongyang on Tuesday under the direct orders of Russian President Vladimir Putin, signaling a deepening of strategic military cooperation between North Korea and Russia.

The visit, Shoigu's second in less than two weeks and third meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in just three months, comes as Moscow seeks to draw Pyongyang closer in its protracted war effort in Ukraine.

Observers say the visit suggests a bid by Russia to leverage shifting global attention — particularly the West’s growing preoccupation with escalating tensions between Israel and Iran — to secure fuller military backing from North Korea. Experts warn that Pyongyang may now be solidifying its position as Russia’s unofficial “military subcontractor.”

The meetings are believed to focus on implementing the comprehensive strategic partnership treaty recently signed by the two countries, with discussions likely covering military cooperation, the security situation on the Korean Peninsula following the launch of the Lee Jae Myung administration, and a potential return visit by Kim to Moscow.

Experts suggest Russia may be seeking expanded support from Pyongyang, including additional troops or weapons, to bolster its offensive in Ukraine. The renewed outreach comes as global attention shifts to the Middle East following recent escalations between Israel and Iran.

AP reported Tuesday that a wave of Russian missile and drone attacks overnight killed at least 14 people and injured 44 across Ukraine. In Kyiv, dozens of homes and apartment buildings were damaged in the barrage.

Sergei Shoigu, Secretary of the Security Council of Russia, steps off his plane at Pyongyang International Airport on June 17. [YONHAP]

On June 9, Russia launched its largest drone assault to date, deploying more than 500 drones in a single operation. Russia has recently been focusing on a large-scale offensive against Ukraine, using drones and missiles.

This is also in line with the announcement made by Ukrainian military officials on June 7 that Russia agreed to support North Korea's production of suicide drones in exchange for sending North Korean troops.

Russia reportedly aims to scale up its monthly drone production from 2,000 to 5,000 units, including supplies manufactured in North Korea, which is increasingly viewed as a de facto subcontractor for Russia’s defense industry.

This photo, carried by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on June 5, shows the North's leader Kim Jong-un, right, meeting with Russia's Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu in Pyongyang the previous day. [YONHAP

The growing military collaboration between the two countries was highlighted in a report released on May 28 by the Multinational Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT), led by South Korea, the United States and Japan, with participation from 11 countries.

Between January and mid-December last year, approximately 9 million artillery and rocket shells were shipped from North Korea to Russia across 49 separate deliveries, according to the MSMT report.

“North Korea and Russia are continuing to strengthen military alignment based on their new treaty,” said Oh Kyung-seob, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification. “Their cooperation is likely to continue as both countries seek to build an autonomous sphere of influence in the face of international sanctions.”

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY CHUNG YEONG-GYO [[email protected]]