Path to World War III? North Korean Troops Fighting Ukraine is a NATO Nightmare
North Korea's deployment of 10,000 troops from its elite Storm Corps to aid Russia in Ukraine marks a significant escalation in the nearly three-year-old conflict. This is North Korea’s first overseas military intervention, signaling a bold move by Kim Jong Un's regime.
Key Point: North Korea's deployment of 10,000 troops from its elite Storm Corps to aid Russia in Ukraine marks a significant escalation in the nearly three-year-old conflict. This is North Korea’s first overseas military intervention, signaling a bold move by Kim Jong Un's regime.
North Korean Troops Deployed to Russia: What Happens Now?
The fact that some 10,000 North Korean troops have deployed to Eastern Europe to aid Russia’s invasion efforts in Ukraine is shocking for several reasons. For the first time since the nearly three-year-old conflict erupted, a foreign country is now directly involved on the ground. While the U.S. and its NATO allies have provided billions of dollars in weaponry and funds to Ukrainian forces, no third party has actively participated in either side of the war.
Additionally, Pyongyang has never before sent military units abroad. The Hermit Kingdom’s decision to launch a foreign military intervention indicates the Kim Jong Un regime is willing to risk its soldiers gaining different perspectives outside of North Korea. The third reason the presence of North Korean troops on the ground in Russia is significant is that it will escalate the conflict.
What We Know About the Troops
According to Ukrainian and South Korean intelligence services, the troops deployed to Russia and were part of North Korea’s 11th Corps. Known as the Storm Corps, this unit specialized in infiltration, infrastructure sabotage, and assassinations. A North Korean expert from the D.C.-based Stimson Center believes soldiers from this unit are, “trained to withstand a high degree of physical pain and psychological torture,” adding that.
“What they lack in combat they make up for with what they can tolerate physically and mentally.”
The influx of North Korean troops is meant to supplement Russia’s dwindling numbers. The U.S. has previously estimated that at least 60,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded since the onset of the invasion back in February 2022.
"With Russia reportedly suffering over 1,000 casualties on the battlefield, reducing its losses could alleviate some pressure on the Putin regime," said Lami Kim, a professor of Security Studies at the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies.
Why did Pyongyang Risk Sending Ground Troops?
Both Moscow and Pyongyang share a mutual contempt for the U.S. and the West as a whole. Over the last two years, the rogue allies have grown closer together as they have similarly been isolated by the international community. Russia and China penned a defense deal these summers requiring both countries to assist each other militarily if one is attacked. However, the treaty also states that any military actions must be made by the laws of both controls and Article 51 of the United Nations Charter which covers member states’ right to self-defense.
Before sending troops to aid Russia’s war efforts on the ground in Ukraine, Pyongyang had been previously supplying Moscow with supplies of ammunition. The fact that North Korea has upped its commitment to the Kremlin by providing troops indicates Kim Jong Un is investing heavily in its perhaps closest ally.
As explained by the Carnegie Endowment, “Ever since the Soviet Union stopped providing economic assistance in 1990, Pyongyang has sought to turn back the clock to the “good old days” of the Cold War, when it could count on a significant inflow of Soviet resources. Until now, North Korea has been unable to achieve this goal, but with troops now apparently deployed in Ukraine, it looks closer than ever.”
About the Author: Maya Carlin
Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin. Carlin has over 1,000 articles published over the last several years on various defense issues.
Image Credit: Creative Commons and/or Shutterstock
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