North Korea Jumps into the Fray: A Comedy of Errors?
October 18, 2024 | Commentary by Your Favorite Comedy Mashup
Image Source: Reuters
So, it seems North Korea has found a new best friend in Russia, or at least a new place to send their soldiers for a little bit of “team bonding.” Yes, you heard it right — as if the world wasn’t chaotic enough, South Korea’s Intelligence Service (NIS) has announced that 1,500 North Korean soldiers have reportedly shipped off to sunny Russia. What’s next? A “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” but with military uniforms? Let’s break it down, shall we?
According to the NIS, these soldiers are not being sent off on a holiday to build snowmen in Vladivostok. No, they’re gearing up for a little “get to know ya” party in Ukraine, with missile officers already regaling the Russian army with tales of their formidable missile collection. Because if you want to spice up a conflict, nothing says “excitement” like sending in the North Korean troops. I mean, who doesn’t love a little buffet of dictatorship?
Troops in Training: Sounds Like a Movie!
As the intrigue thickens, reports suggest that these hardy soldiers have been spotted strutting around military bases in the Far East, probably practicing their best “tough guy” poses in newly issued Russian uniforms. I can already hear the “power struggle” comedy sketch forming in my mind: “Hey, comrade, nice uniform! Where did you get it? Oh, just a little something I picked up on exchange!”
Now, Ukrainian President Zelensky has chimed in, mentioning that up to 10,000 North Korean soldiers are set to get involved. Wow, 10,000? That’s not a battalion; that’s a small army! And not to be outdone, unnamed sources (because those are the safest kind) suggest it could be more like 12,000 troops. Are these numbers rising faster than your debt after a weekend at the casino? Seems like it!
But Wait, There’s More!
We’ve now got satellite images to add fuel to the fire, as if we’re living in an episode of “Spy Kids” mixed with “Mission Impossible.” South Korean intelligence has released photos that show North Korean soldiers looking quite dapper in their new gear, practicing on parade grounds like they just won a marching band competition. But let’s be clear: This is no vaudeville act. They’re equipped and ready—well, sort of ready, since the Kremlin denies all allegations of military exchanges. Classic “I didn’t see anything” attitude, isn’t it?
Old Pals: North Korea and Russia Unite!
Meanwhile, Russia gives a resounding *no comment* to the idea that their deepening ties with Pyongyang could escalate into something serious. Because who could ever think that sending troops into a live conflict zone could get complicated? That would be like thinking a first date at a firing range is a bad idea. Spoiler: It is!
And let’s not forget the wild card—military experts are raising eyebrows at the effectiveness of this North Korean-Russian alliance, suggesting that serious language barriers and a lack of real combat experience might just make this a setup for a punchline. If North Korean troops come waltzing onto the front lines, you can bet they’ll be guarding sections of the border faster than you can say, “What are we doing here?”
Wrapping Up: More Questions Than Answers
So here we find ourselves, knee-deep in an international calamity that might just unfold like a sitcom adventure — think *Seinfeld* meets *M*A*S*H*. With old pals Putin and Kim bonding over military treaties, and North Korea flexing its muscles just outside a popular war, one can only sit back and wait for the next twist in this absurd tale.
Photo copyright: Reuters
Photo caption: North Korean soldiers at a parade in Pyongyang
October 18, 2024
South Korea’s Intelligence Service (NIS) has announced that the DPRK has sent the first batch of soldiers to Russia who are likely to go to war with Ukraine, with missile officers already at war.
South Korean intelligence published a press releasewhich said that 1,500 North Korean soldiers are already at Russian training grounds in the Far East, from where they are likely to travel to Ukraine.
In particular, according to her information, North Korean military personnel are located in Vladivostok, Ussuriysk, Khabarovsk and Blagoveshchensk, and they have been issued Russian uniforms and forged documents of the Russian Federation.
These data are confirmed by a Russian military source in the Far East, who this week told the BBC Russian Service that part of the North Korean military had already arrived and were stationed at military bases near Ussuriysk.
The day before, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, speaking in Brussels, spoke about 10 thousand military personnel from the DPRK who could be involved in the war.
Unnamed sources told South Korean media that we are talking about about 12 thousand military personnel.
Approximately the same figure was recently cited by the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine (GUR), Kirill Budanov: he claims that about 11 thousand North Korean infantrymen are currently training to participate in the war in Ukraine in eastern Russia.
“They will be ready by November 1,” stated Budanov in an interview with The War Zone.
Budanov also said that North Korean troops would use Russian equipment and ammunition. The first detachment of 2,600 military personnel, according to him, may go to the Kursk region, part of which was captured by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in August.
In addition, South Korean intelligence officials claim that missile officers from the North are already in the combat zone and are helping the Russians use North Korean missiles.
Satellite images
South Korean intelligence has published several satellite images and photographs that, in its opinion, prove the transfer of North Korean special forces to Russia.
photo copyrightNIS
Photo caption: In this photo, as South Korean intelligence officials say, military personnel from the DPRK are visible lined up on the parade ground in one of the military units in Ussuriysk
photo copyrightNIS
Photo caption: According to South Korean intelligence, this photo shows North Korean soldiers at a military base in Khabarovsk
South Korean intelligence officers also published photographs where, as they claim, they recorded the movements of Russian ships on which military personnel from the DPRK could be transported to Russia.
South Korean and US officials have previously said that North Korea is supplying ballistic missiles and other munitions to Russia.
Moscow and Pyongyang deny arms supplies. The Kremlin also rejects South Korean claims that the North may have sent troops to assist Russia in its war with Ukraine.
However, NIS claims that since August, North Korea has sent 13,000 containers of shells, missiles and anti-tank weapons to Russia, and that in total up to 8 million 122mm and 152mm shells have been supplied to Russian troops.
The supply of North Korean weapons and ammunition has also been confirmed by many alternative sources: battlefield finds (according to statements by various Ukrainian authorities), reports from Western governments, and even sources close to the Kremlin from exiled Russian journalists.
South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol held an unscheduled meeting Friday with intelligence, military and national security officials to discuss North Korean troops’ involvement in Russia’s war against Ukraine.
“Participants [встречи] “We shared the view that the current situation, in which closer ties between Russia and North Korea have gone beyond the movement of military cargo, poses a serious security threat not only to our country, but also to the international community,” the South Korean presidential office said in a statement.
Friendship between Moscow and Pyongyang
Russia calls false recent reports about Moscow’s readiness to involve the North Korean military in hostilities in Ukraine.
However, over the past year, North Korea and Russia have significantly strengthened military ties.
In June, Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un met and signed a comprehensive strategic partnership that includes a mutual defense pact.
Earlier this week, Putin introduced a proposal to ratify a military treaty concluded with Kim Jong Un, under which the two countries pledge to help each other in the event of “aggression” against either of them.
At the same time, some military experts doubt the effectiveness of possible interaction between the North Korean and Russian militaries, even if this happens.
In their opinion, in addition to the obvious language barrier, an obstacle to such interaction may be the fact that the North Koreans have no experience in real combat.
“They, of course, can guard some sections of the Russian-Ukrainian border, which will free up Russian units that can be involved in the war in other areas,” notes Valery Ryabykh, editor of the Ukrainian publication Defense Express, “but I would exclude the possibility that these [северокорейские] units will immediately appear at the front.”
