After the Korean War, North Korea avoided involvement in major military conflicts, but for decades it actively sold weapons and provided military assistance to countries that maintain friendly relations with Pyongyang. The war in Ukraine was no exception to this practice.
During the Vietnam War, North Korea sent pilots to support North Vietnam, and in 1973 they conducted air operations for Egypt during the Yom Kippur War, The New York Times reports.
Additionally, North Korean missile technicians and two small military units fought for the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad in 2016 during the Syrian civil war.
Security expert Yang Wook of the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul noted that North Korea has historically sent not only weapons but also personnel to countries involved in conflicts. In several cases, North Korean military specialists participated in combat operations to gain combat experience.
Yang Uk emphasized that if the DPRK sends ground troops to Ukraine, this will be its first major war in recent decades. This will be a unique opportunity for North Korean officers to learn modern warfare, including the use of drones. The DPRK, according to the expert, will try to apply the knowledge acquired to strengthen its military power on the Korean Peninsula.
North Korea’s interest in the war in Ukraine is expressed not only through the participation of personnel, but also through the use of its weapons. Russia has already used KN-23 ballistic missiles supplied by the DPRK.
The use will allow Pyongyang to collect data needed to improve the effectiveness of its missile systems, said Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul. This data could be used not only to improve North Korean weapons, but also to sell them to foreign buyers. These missiles could become a key element of Pyongyang’s military arsenal in the event of an attack on South Korea.
South Korean analysts believe that North Korea’s main contribution to the Russo-Ukrainian war will likely be to provide engineers and military advisors to help Russia deploy weapons, identify its deficiencies, and collect battlefield data. However, they emphasize that a significant part of North Korean artillery shells and missiles are often defective.
However, some experts doubt that North Korea is willing to send a significant number of its troops to participate in the war on the side of the Russian Federation. Among those analysts is political scientist Park Won-gon of Ewha Womans University in Seoul, who said such an operation would require extensive preparations similar to the annual military exercises held by South Korea and the United States.
Previously, Kursor reported that Russians in the DPRK starred in an “impressive” resort advertisement.
