12 July 2024

Implications Of NATO-South Korea Defense Cooperation – Analysis

Zhou Chao

In mid-June this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited North Korea and signed the “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty” with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Putin emphasized the importance of this document as a foundation for further development in bilateral relations. He stressed that according to the treaty between Russia and North Korea, each party would provide assistance to the other in case of aggression by a third party. He also hinted at the possibility of military technology cooperation with North Korea. Kim Jong-un, assessing the signing of the treaty, stated that the agreement between North Korea and Russia “accelerates the building of a new multi-polar world”, raising bilateral relations to an alliance level.

Since then, rumors have surfaced about North Korea officially sending troops to the Donetsk region. South Korea’s TV Chosun channel reported on June 21, citing an anonymous South Korean government official, that North Korea plans to deploy active-duty soldiers to assist in the “rebuilding” of cities destroyed by fighting in Russian-controlled Donetsk. According to the report, the anonymous source suggested that North Korea expects to send troops to Ukraine as early as next month, viewing it as a means to earn foreign currency. On June 24, Reuters published an article quoting North Korean military officials condemning the United States for allowing Ukraine to use American-made weapons to retaliate against Russian targets, referencing the earlier report by TV Chosun.

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