Pyongyang’s seemingly imminent entry into Moscow’s war is a watershed moment that further complicates the international web of interests entangled in a conflict that is fast approaching its thousandth day. To many observers, it risks escalating the conflict by connecting rising tensions in Europe and the Asia-Pacific.
They don’t have to feed them
Nukes and luxury goods.
Experience.
If we’re not being sarcastic and objective, they’re getting real life training in a combat zone and that’s something that North Koreans haven’t seen for a very long time. You need to know how to do more than just fight in a combat zone to run large operations in a combat zone.
Modern combat experience, Russian food / amenities for its starving population
Actual combat experience for its troops and closer ties with Russia if ever Pyongyang decides to invade South Korea
This question is asked every few days since the new broke out it seems.
Gotta add for context that N Korea has been sending men to work cutting lumber in Siberia for cash (not for the workers, but for the motherland).
So it doesn’t take much for Kim to send his subjects to do something for a foreign country.
It may be different this time around since this time it is Russia who needs something from N.Korea and not the other way round and also NK soldiers are of a highest value to the supreme devine leader than lumberjacks.
So there is speculation what NK will get out of this, but tech help in arms manufacturing, even nukes is something that comes to mind. Also access to markets that are open to Russia but not to NK.
NK has a lot to gain transitioning to being the most isolated country of the world to becoming close partners to Russia. (Not that they didn’t do business before the war, but this will be to another level).
To gain combat experience necessary to initiate a war of attrition or guerilla war against South Korea.
From Russia:
Cash. High technology, A partner/ally like the Soviet union was during the cold war. Mineral resources, grain.
From the world: A hedge against China. An ally against the west who is not China. A bargaining chip with the US. Standing/fear/respect.
Oil. Blood for oil.
Combat training and exerience. 12K N Korean soldiers on the front of more then 1 million soldiers fight on both side, would be drop in ocean
The answer is pretty obvious. N Korea doesn’t have many friends and Kim wants to stay in power and make friends. Friends that will supply him with food, fuel and arms technologies. There is no “NORTH KOREA”. There is only the Kim regime and that pretty much answers the question.
Kim NOT sending troops to Russia wasn’t going to make him friends in the west. The risk for Kim is that it slightly displeases the Chinese govt. But he has played this game for a very long time.
This is completely understandable when viewed from Kim’s perspective (which is all that really matters in North Korea). I don’t know why the Western press makes this out to be inexplicable. It just takes a shift in perspective and things become rather clear.
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It is clear what [Russia](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/kim-jong-un-sending-soldiers-russia-putin-brics-summit-rcna176754) stands to gain from an influx of [some 10,000 North Korean troops to aid its war in Ukraine](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/north-korean-troops-russia-ukraine-fair-game-us-putin-rcna176989). Less apparent is what might be in it for [Kim Jong Un](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/north-korea-soldiers-russia-ukraine-war-putin-china-rcna177211).
Pyongyang’s seemingly imminent entry into Moscow’s war is a watershed moment that further complicates the international web of interests entangled in a conflict that is fast approaching its thousandth day. To many observers, it risks escalating the conflict by connecting rising tensions in Europe and the Asia-Pacific.
They don’t have to feed them
Nukes and luxury goods.
Experience.
If we’re not being sarcastic and objective, they’re getting real life training in a combat zone and that’s something that North Koreans haven’t seen for a very long time. You need to know how to do more than just fight in a combat zone to run large operations in a combat zone.
Modern combat experience, Russian food / amenities for its starving population
Actual combat experience for its troops and closer ties with Russia if ever Pyongyang decides to invade South Korea
This question is asked every few days since the new broke out it seems.
Gotta add for context that N Korea has been sending men to work cutting lumber in Siberia for cash (not for the workers, but for the motherland).
So it doesn’t take much for Kim to send his subjects to do something for a foreign country.
It may be different this time around since this time it is Russia who needs something from N.Korea and not the other way round and also NK soldiers are of a highest value to the supreme devine leader than lumberjacks.
So there is speculation what NK will get out of this, but tech help in arms manufacturing, even nukes is something that comes to mind. Also access to markets that are open to Russia but not to NK.
NK has a lot to gain transitioning to being the most isolated country of the world to becoming close partners to Russia. (Not that they didn’t do business before the war, but this will be to another level).
To gain combat experience necessary to initiate a war of attrition or guerilla war against South Korea.
From Russia:
Cash. High technology,
A partner/ally like the Soviet union was during the cold war.
Mineral resources, grain.
From the world:
A hedge against China. An ally against the west who is not China. A bargaining chip with the US. Standing/fear/respect.
Oil. Blood for oil.
Combat training and exerience. 12K N Korean soldiers on the front of more then 1 million soldiers fight on both side, would be drop in ocean
The answer is pretty obvious. N Korea doesn’t have many friends and Kim wants to stay in power and make friends. Friends that will supply him with food, fuel and arms technologies. There is no “NORTH KOREA”. There is only the Kim regime and that pretty much answers the question.
Kim NOT sending troops to Russia wasn’t going to make him friends in the west. The risk for Kim is that it slightly displeases the Chinese govt. But he has played this game for a very long time.
This is completely understandable when viewed from Kim’s perspective (which is all that really matters in North Korea). I don’t know why the Western press makes this out to be inexplicable. It just takes a shift in perspective and things become rather clear.
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