On Tuesday, the North Korean state media broadcast images of their supreme chief, visibly moved, meditating in front of the coffins of soldiers killed by helping Russia. These photographs are accompanied by legends such as: “Oh, our heroes, shiny stars of my homeland“. A first since Pyongyang confirmed, in April, that he had deployed troops to support Moscow in his war effort. According to South Korean information, around 600 North Korean soldiers were killed and thousands of others were injured.
End of international isolation
In addition to providing thousands of soldiers to Russia, North Korean military support is materialized by the supply of armaments: ammunition, heavy artillery shells, and ballistic missiles KN-23/KN-24. The two countries also signed a military pact in June 2024, which contains a mutual defense clause.
Admittedly, if North Korea is heard so well with Russia, it is because they both dispute the international order dominated by the West. But this strategic partnership especially allows Kim Jong-Un to break its international isolation, through the diplomatic protection offered by Moscow, which sits on the Security Council of the United Nations (UN).
The great history of North Korea (file)
Caduque UN sanctions
Since 2022, in fact, Russia has gradually broken with the UN sanctions regime, imposed on North Korea due to its program of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. From now on, whatever the actions of Pyongyang, the Moscow’s right of veto makes in fact Impossible to adopt new sanctions. In the same idea, nothing but “Delivery of several million artillery shells in Moscow violated at least ten security council sanctions resolutions“, Note in a Dimitri Minic analysis, researcher at the French Institute for International Relations.
The only element that could potentially blow up this protection would be a new nuclear test by North Korea, said Think Thank International Crisis Group (ICG) in a report published in January. That “would probably cause a vigorous reaction of China“, Who would then put pressure on Russia. But”For the time being, Pyongyang does not seem [de toute façon] not want to take this path.“The latest test dates back to September 2017.
Diplomatic protection
A South Korean legislator claimed, on June 26, to the reuters news agency that in exchange for its aid, North Korea “would probably receive Russia technical advice on satellite launches and missile guidance systems“. Information also found in the ICG report, which says that Vladimir Putin”is committed to supporting the North Korean space program. […] It is also possible [qu’il] supports military development programs.”
The Think Thank warns that “If Moscow goes so far as to provide Pyongyang with launch equipment as well as useful charges for satellites, this would constitute direct assistance to the development of long -range ballistic missiles – in manifest violation of the United Nations sanctions.“
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Juicy partnership
Strengthening its links with Moscow also allows Pyongyang to gain autonomy from the bulky Chinese influence. Indeed, Beijing uses North Korea as a strategic buffer state against South Korea (ally of the United States), in exchange for a commercial and diplomatic partnership to say the least asymmetrical.
Trade with Russia is now an economic complement to cybercriminal activities, which have proven to be a source of lucrative currency for the North-Korean regime
North Korea draws a last advantage, which is not negligible: money. Russia pays North Korean soldiers in cash and goods, in addition to providing them with precious field experience (the North Korean army no longer fought, in principle, since the end of the Korean War in 1953). The ICG explains that “Trade with Russia is now an economic complement to cybercriminal activities, which have been proved, in recent years, to be a source of currency that is both lucrative and not very risky for the regime [nord-coréen].”
Japanese media NHK also reported on June 19, citing Western and unpertified Western and Russian diplomatic sources, that North Korea “envisage“To send 25,000 workers to drone production facilities in the” special economic zone “in Alabuga, in the Russian Republic of Tatarstan, which lacks national labor. If they are actually sent, these workers will make it possible to considerably increase the production of Russian drones, in exchange for training in their use. The Kremlin also announced on June 17 that 5,000 workers in the North Korean army”will be responsible for the reconstruction of the Koursk region“, in addition to”1,000 sappers“. The cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang is therefore more than strategic, it is profitable.
