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The Star
3 days ago
- Business
- The Star
North Korea gets a weapons bonanza from Russia
SEOUL: Attack drones directed by artificial intelligence. Tanks with improved electronic warfare systems. A newly built naval destroyer fitted with supersonic cruise missiles. A new air defence system. Air-to-air missiles. The list of new weapons being touted by North Korea grows almost by the week. Long-held conventional wisdom had it that North Korea – crippled by international sanctions, natural disasters and the coronavirus pandemic – was unable to upgrade its decrepit Soviet-era military because it lacked the money, fuel, spare parts and technology required. But its wily leader, Kim Jong Un, found a solution to his country's decades-old problem. He courted Russia after it invaded Ukraine three years ago and ran into a dire shortage of both troops and conventional weapons, like artillery shells. North Korea had plenty of both to provide. In return, Moscow has revived a Cold War-era treaty of mutual defence and cooperation with Pyongyang, supplying North Korea not only with fuel and food, but also with materials and technologies to modernise its military, according to South Korean officials and analysts. They warn that the growing expansion of military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, if left unchecked, could threaten a delicate military balance around the Korean Peninsula. The disintegration of the old Soviet bloc, and the subsequent collapse of North Korea's economy, created a yawning gap between North and South Korea in their conventional weapons abilities. To counter that, North Korea in recent decades dedicated its limited resources to developing nuclear warheads and their delivery missiles. Still, the North's conventional weaponry remained many years behind that of South Korea and the United States, which keeps 28,500 troops in the South. Russia's war against Ukraine has brought Kim a military bonanza. It gave North Korea opportunities to test its weapons and troops, and to gain valuable insights into modern warfare. Its conventional weapons industry has entered a renaissance, thanks to Russia's insatiable demand for its artillery shells and missiles and the military technology flowing the other way, South Korean analysts said. Kim now has greater ability to destabilise the East Asia region and more leverage should he sit down again with US President Donald Trump or China's leader Xi Jinping, they said. 'North Korea appears to be entering a strategic golden age,' said Yang Uk, an expert on the North Korean military at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul, South Korea. The alliance has benefited President Vladimir Putin of Russia, too. For months, Russian officials concealed the fact that North Korean troops were taking part in efforts to push Ukrainians out of the Kursk region, in western Russia. It was only at the end of April, when most of the Ukrainian-occupied area had been liberated, that the head of the Russian General Staff said during a public meeting with Putin that North Korean troops 'provided significant assistance' to the Russian army there. Perhaps more valuably, North Korea sent millions of artillery rounds, as well as many missiles, to Russia. South Korean officials said that North Korea was also cooperating with Russia to build drones for both nations. Russia's resurgence in the war has given Putin a stronger hand in any potential peace negotiations with Ukraine, and with Trump. The courtship between Kim and Putin deepened when they met in Russia's Far East in September 2023. Kim was shown around a Russian space-launch station, an aircraft manufacturing factory and air force and naval bases, compiling what South Korean analysts called a 'bucket list' of Russian technologies he wanted to get his hands on. Last June, Kim invited Putin to Pyongyang, the North's capital, to sign an alliance treaty. Soon, North Korean troops began streaming into Russia, numbering up to 15,000 in all, according to South Korean intelligence officials North Korean troops took part in recapturing two villages in the Kursk region, said Dmitri Kuznets, an analyst with the news outlet Meduza, which was outlawed by the Kremlin and operates from Latvia. But the true extent of the troops' contributions has been debated. Valery Shiryaev, an independent Russian military analyst, said in a post on Telegram, a popular messaging app, that the participation of Koreans in real battles was Kim's idea, so that he could test his army. 'All of them are getting an incredible experience now and will come back as real veterans,' Shiryaev said. 'There are no such people in the South Korean army, which undoubtedly fills Kim Jong Un with pride.' Analysts in South Korea and other Western powers have been tallying Kim's hardware gains. They have monitored aircraft and ships carrying what appeared to be Russian military technologies to North Korea. Kim also began more frequently visiting munitions factories and watching weapons tests. He oversaw the test firing of an anti-aircraft missile system in March amid indications that he was getting badly needed Russian help to modernise the North's decrepit air defence. He later inspected reconnaissance and the self-destructing attack drones that used AI to hit targets. His prioritising of drones alone would help significantly narrow the gap with South Korea in conventional weapons, analysts said. In April, Kim and his daughter, Kim Ju Ae, widely believed to be his heir, attended the launching of the North's first naval destroyer, the Choe Hyon. He later watched the ship test-fire various missiles. One of them was called a supersonic cruise missile by North Korea, and it resembled the nuclear-capable Russian cruise missile 3M22 Zircon, said Hong Min, a military expert at the Korea Institute for National Unification in Seoul. While launching the destroyer, Kim reconfirmed that he was also building a nuclear-powered submarine. Early in May, he visited a tank factory where he said that 'the armoured weapons of the last century' were being replaced, state media reported. He later inspected expanded and modernised munitions factories, praising a four-fold increase in artillery shells, a key North Korean export to Russia. Kim also visited an air force unit and watched what looked like a MiG-29 fighter jet hitting a midair target with an air-to-air missile. Such a scene was a far cry from the days when North Korea could rarely get its fighter jets off the ground for lack of fuel and spare parts. The weapons that North Korea has been brandishing suggest Russian help in developing them, said Lee Sung-joon, a South Korean military spokesperson. South Korean officials usually take North Korea's claims with a dose of scepticism as it has often exaggerated its military achievements for propaganda purposes. And the pressure that Kim has been exerting on his engineers to complete new weapons quickly has led to mishaps. This past month, when North Korea launched its second destroyer, the ship capsized, prompting an angry Kim to order the arrest of several officials. But with Russia's help, North Korea is moving faster to fulfill its ambitious plans for upgrading weaponry announced in 2021, said Choi Yong-hwan, an analyst at the Institute for National Security Strategy in Seoul. Building bigger ships would allow North Korea to start joint naval exercises with Russia around the Korean Peninsula, as South Korea has done with the United States for decades, he said. Multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions ban arms trading with North Korea. But military cooperation with Russia 'has proved a perfect route for the North to evade sanctions and overcome its technological limits,' said a report from the institute. There remains doubt over how much sensitive technology Russia is willing to share with North Korea. North Korea has repeatedly failed to launch military spy satellites. And to build a nuclear-powered submarine, the country would need a small nuclear reactor. Such a submarine, which would vastly improve its ability to cross the Pacific and launch a nuclear attack on the US mainland, was so politically risky that Moscow would be 'very, very cautious,' said Doo Jin-ho, a senior analyst at the Korea Institute for Defence Analyses in Seoul. But the mere threat it could happen gives Kim more leverage, and North Korean state media has shown part of what it said was a nuclear-powered submarine under construction. 'It's the most dangerous weapon North Korea has unveiled so far,' said Hong, of the Korea Institute for National Unification. - The New York Times
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
North Korea gets a weapons bonanza from Russia
This picture taken on May 15 and released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on May 17 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (centre) beside a MiG-29 aircraft. PHOTO: AFP SEOUL – Attack drones directed by artificial intelligence. Tanks with improved electronic warfare systems. A newly built naval destroyer fitted with supersonic cruise missiles. A new air defence system. Air-to-air missiles. The list of new weapons being touted by North Korea grows almost by the week. Long-held conventional wisdom had it that North Korea – crippled by international sanctions, natural disasters and the coronavirus pandemic – was unable to upgrade its decrepit Soviet-era military because it lacked the money, fuel, spare parts and technology required. But its wily leader, Kim Jong Un, found a solution to his country's decades-old problem. He courted Russia after it invaded Ukraine three years ago and ran into a dire shortage of both troops and conventional weapons, like artillery shells. North Korea had plenty of both to provide. In return, Moscow has revived a Cold War-era treaty of mutual defence and cooperation with Pyongyang, supplying North Korea not only with fuel and food, but also with materials and technologies to modernise its military, according to South Korean officials and analysts. They warn that the growing expansion of military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, if left unchecked, could threaten a delicate military balance around the Korean Peninsula. The disintegration of the old Soviet bloc, and the subsequent collapse of North Korea's economy, created a yawning gap between North and South Korea in their conventional weapons abilities. To counter that, North Korea in recent decades dedicated its limited resources to developing nuclear warheads and their delivery missiles. Still, the North's conventional weaponry remained many years behind that of South Korea and the United States, which keeps 28,500 troops in the South. Russia's war against Ukraine has brought Mr Kim a military bonanza. It gave North Korea opportunities to test its weapons and troops, and to gain valuable insights into modern warfare. Its conventional weapons industry has entered a renaissance, thanks to Russia's insatiable demand for its artillery shells and missiles and the military technology flowing the other way, South Korean analysts said. Mr Kim now has greater ability to destabilise the East Asia region and more leverage should he sit down again with US President Donald Trump or China's leader Xi Jinping, they said. 'North Korea appears to be entering a strategic golden age,' said Mr Yang Uk, an expert on the North Korean military at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul, South Korea. The alliance has benefited President Vladimir Putin of Russia, too. For months, Russian officials concealed the fact that North Korean troops were taking part in efforts to push Ukrainians out of the Kursk region, in western Russia. It was only at the end of April, when most of the Ukrainian-occupied area had been liberated, that the head of the Russian General Staff said during a public meeting with Mr Putin that North Korean troops 'provided significant assistance' to the Russian army there. Perhaps more valuably, North Korea sent millions of artillery rounds, as well as many missiles, to Russia. South Korean officials said that North Korea was also cooperating with Russia to build drones for both nations. Russia's resurgence in the war has given Mr Putin a stronger hand in any potential peace negotiations with Ukraine, and with Mr Trump. The courtship between Mr Kim and Mr Putin deepened when they met in Russia's Far East in September 2023. Mr Kim was shown around a Russian space-launch station, an aircraft manufacturing factory and air force and naval bases, compiling what South Korean analysts called a 'bucket list' of Russian technologies he wanted to get his hands on. Last June, Mr Kim invited Mr Putin to Pyongyang, the North's capital, to sign an alliance treaty. Soon, North Korean troops began streaming into Russia, numbering up to 15,000 in all, according to South Korean intelligence officials North Korean troops took part in recapturing two villages in the Kursk region, said Mr Dmitri Kuznets, an analyst with the news outlet Meduza, which was outlawed by the Kremlin and operates from Latvia. But the true extent of the troops' contributions has been debated. A handout satellite image made available by Maxar Technologies shows a new North Korean warship at the harbour May 25 after an accident during the launch ceremony in Chongjin, North Korea. PHOTO: EPA-EFE Mr Valery Shiryaev, an independent Russian military analyst, said in a post on Telegram, a popular messaging app, that the participation of Koreans in real battles was Mr Kim's idea, so that he could test his army. 'All of them are getting an incredible experience now and will come back as real veterans,' Mr Shiryaev said. 'There are no such people in the South Korean army, which undoubtedly fills Kim Jong Un with pride.' Analysts in South Korea and other Western powers have been tallying Mr Kim's hardware gains. They have monitored aircraft and ships carrying what appeared to be Russian military technologies to North Korea. Mr Kim also began more frequently visiting munitions factories and watching weapons tests. He oversaw the test firing of an anti-aircraft missile system in March amid indications that he was getting badly needed Russian help to modernise the North's decrepit air defence. He later inspected reconnaissance and the self-destructing attack drones that used AI to hit targets. His prioritising of drones alone would help significantly narrow the gap with South Korea in conventional weapons, analysts said. In April, Mr Kim and his daughter, Kim Ju Ae, widely believed to be his heir, attended the launching of the North's first naval destroyer, the Choe Hyon. He later watched the ship test-fire various missiles. One of them was called a supersonic cruise missile by North Korea, and it resembled the nuclear-capable Russian cruise missile 3M22 Zircon, said Mr Hong Min, a military expert at the Korea Institute for National Unification in Seoul. While launching the destroyer, Mr Kim reconfirmed that he was also building a nuclear-powered submarine. Early in May, he visited a tank factory where he said that 'the armoured weapons of the last century' were being replaced, state media reported. He later inspected expanded and modernised munitions factories, praising a four-fold increase in artillery shells, a key North Korean export to Russia. Mr Kim also visited an air force unit and watched what looked like a MiG-29 fighter jet hitting a midair target with an air-to-air missile. Such a scene was a far cry from the days when North Korea could rarely get its fighter jets off the ground for lack of fuel and spare parts. The weapons that North Korea has been brandishing suggest Russian help in developing them, said Mr Lee Sung-joon, a South Korean military spokesperson. South Korean officials usually take North Korea's claims with a dose of scepticism as it has often exaggerated its military achievements for propaganda purposes. And the pressure that Mr Kim has been exerting on his engineers to complete new weapons quickly has led to mishaps. This past month, when North Korea launched its second destroyer, the ship capsized, prompting an angry Mr Kim to order the arrest of several officials. But with Russia's help, North Korea is moving faster to fulfill its ambitious plans for upgrading weaponry announced in 2021, said Mr Choi Yong-hwan, an analyst at the Institute for National Security Strategy in Seoul. Building bigger ships would allow North Korea to start joint naval exercises with Russia around the Korean Peninsula, as South Korea has done with the United States for decades, he said. Multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions ban arms trading with North Korea. But military cooperation with Russia 'has proved a perfect route for the North to evade sanctions and overcome its technological limits,' said a report from the institute. There remains doubt over how much sensitive technology Russia is willing to share with North Korea. North Korea has repeatedly failed to launch military spy satellites. And to build a nuclear-powered submarine, the country would need a small nuclear reactor. Such a submarine, which would vastly improve its ability to cross the Pacific and launch a nuclear attack on the US mainland, was so politically risky that Moscow would be 'very, very cautious,' said Mr Doo Jin-ho, a senior analyst at the Korea Institute for Defence Analyses in Seoul. But the mere threat it could happen gives Mr Kim more leverage, and North Korean state media has shown part of what it said was a nuclear-powered submarine under construction. 'It's the most dangerous weapon North Korea has unveiled so far,' said Mr Hong, of the Korea Institute for National Unification. NYTIMES Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
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Business Standard
3 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
North Korea gaining military edge as Russia seeks war-time supplies
North Korea has been rapidly unveiling new weapons, including AI-guided attack drones, upgraded tanks with electronic warfare features, a new naval destroyer armed with supersonic cruise missiles, and an improved air-defence system. It has also showcased air-to-air missiles and new drone technology. In the past, international sanctions, natural disasters, and the Covid-19 pandemic were thought to have left the North Korea's ageing Soviet-era military incapable of modernisation. But Kim Jong-un found a solution by turning to Russia, which needed weapons and manpower as it continues its military operation in Ukraine, according to a report by The New York Times. Reviving an old alliance As Russia's war in Ukraine dragged on and its resources thinned, North Korea stepped in with large supplies of artillery shells and troops. In return, Russia restarted a Cold War-era treaty of defence and cooperation with North Korea. According to South Korean officials and analysts quoted in the NYT report, this deal has provided North Korea with fuel, food, military materials and technologies to upgrade its forces. They warn that this growing military cooperation could destabilise the Korean Peninsula. New weapons, new opportunities Following the collapse of the Soviet Union and North Korea's economy, the country focused on nuclear weapons while its conventional military remained outdated. In contrast, South Korea, backed by the US and its 28,500 troops, maintained a strong military edge. However, analysts say Russia's need for weapons and manpower has brought about a major shift. North Korea's weapons industry has been revitalised, with Kim now gaining battlefield insights and modern warfare experience. 'North Korea appears to be entering a strategic golden age,' Yang Uk, Seoul's Asan Institute for Policy Studies, told NYT. Support for Russia in Ukraine Russia has also benefited. Though kept secret at first, Russian military officials later confirmed that North Korean troops helped Russian forces push back Ukrainians in the Kursk region. South Korean intelligence believes around 15,000 North Korean troops have entered Russia. North Korea has supplied millions of artillery shells and missiles. The two countries are also working together to develop drones. The cooperation has strengthened Vladimir Putin's position in both the Ukraine conflict and international diplomacy. In September 2023, Kim visited Russia's Far East, where he toured a space launch centre, aircraft factory, and military bases. South Korean analysts believe he made a 'bucket list' of technologies he wanted. The relationship deepened when Kim invited Putin to Pyongyang last June. Soon after, North Korean troops reportedly began flowing into Russia. Testing troops in real battles Dmitri Kuznets, an analyst with Meduza, said North Korean troops helped retake two villages in the Kursk region. However, the exact scale of their involvement remains debated, according to him. Valery Shiryaev, a Russian military analyst, wrote on Telegram that real battlefield experience was important for Kim. 'All of them are getting an incredible experience now and will come back as real veterans,' he said. 'There are no such people in the South Korean Army, which undoubtedly fills Kim Jong-un with pride.' Analysts have observed aircraft and ships carrying military technology from Russia to North Korea. Kim has increased visits to weapons factories and overseen several weapons tests. In March, he watched the launch of an anti-aircraft missile system, suggesting Russian help in updating the North's air defences. He also viewed AI-powered attack drones. Experts say that just improving drone capabilities would help reduce the conventional weapons gap with South Korea. New naval power In April, Kim and his daughter Kim Ju-ae attended the launch of North Korea's first naval destroyer, the "Choe Hyon". He later observed its missile tests. One of the missiles resembled Russia's nuclear-capable 3M22 Zircon cruise missile. Kim also confirmed that a nuclear-powered submarine was being developed. In early May, Kim visited a tank factory and announced that outdated armoured vehicles were being replaced. He later praised a fourfold increase in artillery shell production — an important export to Russia. He also observed a MiG-29 fighter jet firing an air-to-air missile, a stark contrast from the days when the North could barely fly due to fuel and spare part shortages. According to Lee Sung-joon, a South Korean military spokesperson, many of North Korea's new weapons indicate direct Russian assistance. Evading sanctions through Russia The UN has banned arms trade with North Korea. However, cooperation with Russia has helped Pyongyang bypass sanctions and get the technology it needs, according to a report from the Institute for National Security Strategy. Nevertheless, there is doubt over how much sensitive technology Russia is willing to share. North Korea has repeatedly failed to launch military satellites. A nuclear-powered submarine would require a compact reactor — something Moscow may hesitate to provide. 'It's the most dangerous weapon North Korea has unveiled so far,' said Hong Min of the Korea Institute for National Unification. Even if Russia never gives that final piece of technology, the possibility alone gives Kim more leverage. North Korean state media has already shown part of what it claimed was a nuclear submarine under construction.
Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Business
- Boston Globe
North Korea gets a weapons bonanza from Russia
Advertisement In return, Moscow has revived a Cold War-era treaty of mutual defense and cooperation with Pyongyang, supplying North Korea not only with fuel and food, but also with materials and technologies to modernize its military, according to South Korean officials and analysts. They warn that the growing expansion of military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, if left unchecked, could threaten a delicate military balance around the Korean Peninsula. The disintegration of the old Soviet bloc, and the subsequent collapse of North Korea's economy, created a yawning gap between North and South Korea in their conventional weapons abilities. To counter that, North Korea in recent decades dedicated its limited resources to developing nuclear warheads and their delivery missiles. Still, the North's conventional weaponry remained many years behind that of South Korea and the United States, which keeps 28,500 troops in the South. Advertisement Russia's war against Ukraine has brought Kim a military bonanza. It gave North Korea opportunities to test its weapons and troops and to gain valuable insights into modern warfare. Its conventional weapons industry has entered a renaissance, thanks to Russia's insatiable demand for its artillery shells and missiles and the military technology flowing the other way, South Korean analysts said. Kim now has greater ability to destabilize the East Asia region and more leverage should he sit down again with President Donald Trump or China's leader, Xi Jinping, they said. 'North Korea appears to be entering a strategic golden age,' said Yang Uk, an expert on the North Korean military at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul. The alliance has benefited President Vladimir Putin of Russia, too. For months, Russian officials concealed the fact that North Korean troops were taking part in efforts to push Ukrainians out of the Kursk region, in western Russia. It was only at the end of April, when most of the Ukrainian-occupied area had been liberated, that the head of the Russian General Staff said during a public meeting with Putin that North Korean troops 'provided significant assistance' to the Russian army there. Perhaps more valuably, North Korea sent millions of artillery rounds, as well as many missiles, to Russia. South Korean officials said that North Korea was also cooperating with Russia to build drones for both nations. Russia's resurgence in the war has given Putin a stronger hand in any potential peace negotiations with Ukraine, and with Trump. The courtship between Kim and Putin deepened when they met in Russia's Far East in September 2023. Kim was shown around a Russian space-launch station, an aircraft manufacturing factory, and air force and naval bases, compiling what South Korean analysts called a 'bucket list' of Russian technologies he wanted to get his hands on. Advertisement Last June, Kim invited Putin to Pyongyang, the North's capital, to sign an alliance treaty. Soon, North Korean troops began streaming into Russia, numbering up to 15,000 in all, according to South Korean intelligence officials North Korean troops took part in recapturing two villages in the Kursk region, said Dmitri Kuznets, an analyst with the news outlet Meduza, which was outlawed by the Kremlin and operates from Latvia. But the true extent of the troops' contributions has been debated. Valery Shiryaev, an independent Russian military analyst, said in a post on Telegram, a popular messaging app, that the participation of Koreans in real battles was Kim's idea, so that he could test his army. 'All of them are getting an incredible experience now and will come back as real veterans,' Shiryaev said. 'There are no such people in the South Korean army, which undoubtedly fills Kim Jong Un with pride.' Analysts in South Korea and other Western powers have been tallying Kim's hardware gains. They have monitored aircraft and ships carrying what appeared to be Russian military technologies to North Korea. Kim's prioritizing of drones alone would help significantly narrow the gap with South Korea in conventional weapons, analysts said. In April, Kim and his daughter, Kim Ju Ae, widely believed to be his heir, attended the launching of the North's first naval destroyer, the Choe Hyon. He later watched the ship test-fire various missiles. One of them was called a supersonic cruise missile by North Korea, and it resembled the nuclear-capable Russian cruise missile 3M22 Zircon, said Hong Min, a military expert at the Korea Institute for National Unification in Seoul. Advertisement While launching the destroyer, Kim Jong Un reconfirmed that he was also building a nuclear-powered submarine. Multiple UN Security Council resolutions ban arms trading with North Korea. But military cooperation with Russia 'has proved a perfect route for the North to evade sanctions and overcome its technological limits,' said a report from the Institute for National Security Strategy in Seoul. There remains doubt over how much sensitive technology Russia is willing to share with North Korea. North Korea has repeatedly failed to launch military spy satellites. And to build a nuclear-powered submarine, the country would need a small nuclear reactor. Such a submarine, which would vastly improve its ability to cross the Pacific and launch a nuclear attack on the US mainland, was so politically risky that Moscow would be 'very, very cautious,' said Doo Jin-ho, a senior analyst at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses in Seoul. But the mere threat it could happen gives Kim more leverage, and North Korean state media has shown part of what it said was a nuclear-powered submarine under construction. 'It's the most dangerous weapon North Korea has unveiled so far,' said Hong, of the Korea Institute for National Unification. This article originally appeared in
See - Sada Elbalad
26-05-2025
- Politics
- See - Sada Elbalad
North Korea-Russia Relations: The Honeymoon Phase May Be Over
Cha, Du Hyeon(Principal Fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies) On Apr. 26, Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov mentioned that he wanted to give credit to North Korean troops who had made great contributions to liberating the Kursk region when he was debriefed to President Vladimir Putin via video call on Russian troops' reclamation of territory in Kursk occupied by Ukrainian forces. Moscow officially acknowledged the deployment of North Korean troops in six months following the initial suspicion raised by the Ukrainian intelligence authorities in Oct. 2024 that Pyongyang sent its troops to the Russia-Ukraine war. Thereafter, Pyongyang also announced a written statement in the name of the Central Military Commission of the Korean Workers' Party, disclosing its troops dispatch while commending the troops for their 'heroic feats' and 'significant contributions' and assessing the dispatch of its troops and the recovery of Kursk as 'a historic new chapter for the North Korea-Russia relations, marking the pinnacle of strategic alliance and brotherhood.' President Putin exchanged handshakes with North Korea's military delegation at a Victory Day military parade held in Moscow on May 9. Kim Jong-un highlighted 'eight decades of unshakable friendship and solidarity of the two', claiming that North Korean and Russian troops eliminated their 'shared enemy' and its participation in the battlefield was legitimate as its 'sovereign rights'. On the face of such remarks and their closer ties, the two seem to be demonstrating a stronger alliance which has been reignited after the signing of the North Korea-Russia Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in Jun. 2024. At the same time, what lies beneath is a subtle divergence in how the two sides interpret their bilateral relationship. First, even though Russia and North Korea have officially acknowledged the deployment of North Korean troops, there are some nuanced differences. Unlike the North which has described the deployment as heroic acts and claimed such military contributions are reciprocal, Russia has not mentioned its role in matters related to the Korean Peninsula while recognizing North Korean troops' contributions. Indeed, Russia has limited the collaboration with North Korea to the Russia-Ukraine War while Kim firmly stated that 'any aggression' by South Korea or the US on the Korean Peninsula would be countered 'in accordance with the the provisions and spirit of the North Korea-Russia Treaty'. Such differences were also observed during the military parade on the Victory Day held in Moscow. Some had speculated that Kim would attend the parade, but he did not. This may suggest that the Victory Day event—attended by various parties—did not align with his intention to showcase their close ties. In other words, Moscow which has already gained the upper hand in the Ukraine war may have wished to avoid a situation in which their relationship would be highlighted, unlike Pyongyang, which is eager to emphasize their ties at home and abroad. Second, as North Korea and Russia strengthen their ties, there is a possibility of disagreements arising during the interim settlement process in which they discuss what they can offer each other. On top of that, it can be said that North Korea has already conveyed its intentions by Kim not attending Russia's Victory Day celebrations. Despite North Korean troops' contribution to the recapture of Kursk, currently, there is no indication that North Korean troops have been deployed to eastern Ukraine in which Russia is intensifying its offensive. Having already demonstrated its ability to supply Russia with weapons and troops, North Korea may intend to convey a message that Russia's further demands should be matched by greater compensation. It may have already received or been promised food, energy, and conventional weapons from Russia in exchange for its artillery shells, ballistic missiles, and deployment of troops. Kim may now demand something beyond what he has previously received--possibly technology and components for its recently-revealed submarine and 5,500-ton destroyer, as well as nuclear-related technology, but Russia's response remains unclear. Third, the North Korea-China relations, as well as the relationship between the two leaders, may also be considered variables. The strengthening of North Korea-Russia ties may strain North Korea's relationship with China, which accounts for over 90% of North Korea's foreign trade. It is uncertain how long North Korea can endure such a risk. Given that Russia has been increasingly depending on China after the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war, it also has to recalibrate the level of alignment with North Korea. The fact that all three countries—North Korea, China, and Russia—are characterized by an authoritarian one-man dictatorship serves as an incentive for collaboration, while also posing potential challenges. The dictator has a desire for control and dominance, and the desire usually reaches beyond internal governance and into foreign relations. As Kim Jong-un and North Korea who seek to establish themselves as an equal partner with China and Russia and to drive the trilateral cooperation at times, there is a possibility of a rift among the leaders, with China and Russia trying to keep North Korea still in a junior partner role. In some ways, the close ties between North Korea and Russia may have already entered a period of adjustment, having passed the honeymoon phase. The fact that the two have officially acknowledged the participation of North Korean troops in the war suggests that such an adjustment has already begun. Initially, both were reluctant to officially confirm the deployment of North Korean troops, with Moscow calling it 'a matter between the two' and Pyongyang describing it as 'an action in accordance with international legal norms'. The significant losses that North Korean troops inevitably experienced in the early stages of the deployment may have played a key role in this reluctance. In addition, their deliberate wait for a more opportune moment for propaganda purposes is evidence that they themselves have acknowledged the unjustifiability of the deployment. North Korea will likely demand substantial compensation for its heroic achievements, but Russia's calculations may now take a different turn after having narrowly avoided a critical situation. read more Analysis- Turkey Has 0 Regional Allies... Why? Analysis: Russia, Turkey... Libya in Return For Syria? Analysis: Who Will Gain Trump's Peace Plan Fruits? Analysis: Will Turkey's Erdogan Resort to Snap Election? Analysis: What Are Turkey's Aspirations in Iraq? Opinion & Analysis Analysis: Mercenaries In Libya... Who Should Be Blamed? 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