North Korea and Russia have struck a “mutual military aid” pact, stoking fears of Kim Jong-un’s forces officially joining the conflict against Ukraine.
The treaty emerges alongside reports that 12,000 North Korean troops have been deployed to bolster Russian forces amidst their ongoing invasion.
Alarmingly, intelligence suggests around 50,000 soldiers from both nations are amassing for an offensive against Ukraine from Russia’s Kursk region.
The agreement was ratified last week by Russian authorities after being inked by President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in June.
Marking what is believed to be the most significant settlement of its kind between the two nations since the Cold War’s end, the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership treaty is set to activate upon the exchange of ratification documents, as declared by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). The KCNA reported that North Korea’s assent came via a decree on Monday by the head of state affairs.
While North Korea’s Supreme People’s Assembly traditionally ratifies treaties, major agreements can be directly sanctioned by Kim, South Korean officials note. The treaty compels either country to respond with all available resources in providing immediate military support if one faces aggression.
There is speculation that the ratification of a treaty between North Korea and Russia could indicate North Korea’s formal entry into the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Intelligence assessments from the US, South Korea, and Ukraine suggest that up to 12,000 North Korean troops have been dispatched to Russia, likely as part of the June treaty, reports the Mirror.
This new alliance also implies that Kim Jong-Un may send additional troops to the frontline. North Korea has already begun supplying weapons to Russia as Moscow’s ammunition stocks deplete.
However, a significant portion of this equipment has proven to be defective, including artillery shells that are duds and bullets that fail to fire. Last week, Ukrainian officials reported minor skirmishes between Ukrainian and North Korean forces, with Ukrainian artillery targeting North Korean soldiers in Russia’s Kursk border region.
The deployment of North Korean troops threatens to escalate the nearly three-year-long war. South Korea, the US, and their allies are also concerned about what Russia might offer North Korea in return.
The potential transfer of sensitive technology from Russia to bolster North Korea’s rapidly advancing nuclear and missile programmes would be a deeply concerning development for the US and its allies. There has been a significant strengthening of military and other cooperation between North Korea and Russia.
South Korea’s intelligence agency reported last month that since August 2023, North Korea has shipped over 13,000 containers of artillery, missiles and other conventional weapons to Russia in an effort to replenish its depleting arsenal.
