Why North Korea struck a good deal in helping Russia with its War in Ukraine

Pyongyang gains from not only Moscow's diplomatic backing but also its tech expertise and battlefield experience – which should worry Seoul.

- Jonathan Eyal

During the Cold War, the Soviet Union sent thousands of troops and military advisers abroad to fight in foreign wars. Today, Russia – the Soviet Union's successor state – recruits tens of thousands of foreigners to fight in its war in Ukraine.

Not a week passes by without someone spotting new foreign mercenaries fighting for Russia; the latest to join this dubious company are the Houthi rebels in Yemen, who have apparently been sighted on Ukraine's battlefields. Yet none of these foreign recruits is ever likely to be as significant as the presence of the North Korean soldiers in the Ukraine war.

This is partly due to their sheer number: At least 10,000 North Koreans are now estimated to be wearing the Russian uniform, far more than the foreign mercenaries of any other nationality. However, it is also because of the broader military implications that North Korea's participation in the European war will have on security arrangements in Asia. Years from now, the long shadow of Ukraine will continue to hang over the Korean peninsula.

For Russia, a nation with a reputation for boundless manpower resources, the rush to recruit foreigners represents a historic change, highlighting the struggle the Russian government has in balancing its political, military, and civilian economic commitments.

Most leaders start wars on the conviction that these would be cheap and lead to quick victories, and most end up proved wrong on both counts. That's certainly the experience of Russian President Vladimir Putin. When he ordered his troops to invade Ukraine in February 2022, both he and the Western intelligence agencies watching his every move expected the Russians to complete the jobs within weeks with minimum casualties; Mr Putin even had a puppet government ready to take over occupied Ukraine.