Post by : Meena Ariff

Russian President Vladimir Putin has publicly praised the “invincible friendship” between Russia and North Korea in a recent New Year’s letter addressed to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The letter, reportedly delivered to Pyongyang last week, highlights the close military cooperation between the two countries, particularly the active role of North Korean soldiers who have been assisting Russia’s ongoing military campaign in Ukraine.

Putin described the deployment of North Korean troops as a powerful testament to the strong and militant fraternity that binds Moscow and Pyongyang. According to intelligence assessments from South Korean and Western agencies, North Korea has sent over 10,000 soldiers to Russia in 2024, with the majority deployed in the strategically significant Kursk region near the Ukrainian border. Alongside the troops, North Korea has supplied Russia with substantial military aid, including artillery shells, missiles, and long-range rocket systems, which have been integrated into Russia’s war effort.

In his letter, Putin emphasized the bravery and contribution of the North Korean forces, writing that “the heroic entry of soldiers of the Korean People’s Army into battles for liberating the Kursk region from occupiers and the subsequent activities of Korean engineers on Russian soil clearly prove the invincible friendship” between the two nations. He also noted that the objectives of a historic treaty on comprehensive strategic partnership, signed during his visit to Pyongyang in June 2024, have been effectively fulfilled through the combined efforts of both countries.

This treaty, which marked a significant strengthening of Moscow-Pyongyang ties, includes a mutual defense clause. This clause commits each side to provide immediate military assistance should the other face armed aggression, underscoring the deepening military alliance. Putin further asserted that the robust cooperation between Russia and North Korea is a vital step toward establishing a fair and multipolar world order, positioning both nations as key challengers to Western geopolitical dominance.

Meanwhile, South Korean intelligence agencies estimate that approximately 2,000 North Korean soldiers deployed in the conflict zone in Russia have lost their lives. North Korea officially acknowledged its troop deployment for the first time in April 2024 and admitted that some of its soldiers have been killed in combat. Since then, Kim Jong Un has met personally with the families of those fallen soldiers, offering condolences and expressing sympathy for the “unbearable pain” caused by their loss.

North Korean state media have released emotional images showing Kim embracing a soldier returning from the battlefield. The soldier appeared visibly overwhelmed, burying his face into Kim’s chest, an image that underscores the profound human cost of the conflict for Pyongyang.

Following the military agreement signed between Moscow and Pyongyang, South Korea’s conservative government under President Yoon Suk Yeol had indicated that it might reconsider its longstanding policy against supplying arms to Ukraine. However, no concrete steps have been taken so far to provide military aid to Kyiv.

The expanding military partnership between Russia and North Korea signals a significant shift in the global balance of power amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. It highlights the growing strategic alliance between two nations united in their opposition to Western influence, raising new questions about the future dynamics of international security and diplomacy.

#Asia News