Kim Jong Un may step up support for Putin's war in Ukraine

North Korea may send additional troops to Russia as early as August this year to participate in the war against Ukraine.

"The timing of the additional deployment is that it could be as early as July or August," South Korean member of parliament Lee Seong-kweun told reporters after the closed-door briefing.

Moscow is preparing for a large-scale offensive

South Korean intelligence believes that Russia is planning a major offensive against Ukraine in August, and the possible participation of North Korean units is linked to these plans.

Pyongyang has already begun a new mobilization of troops to be sent to Russia.

In May, one of the key representatives of the Russian Security Council visited North Korea, which was probably part of the coordination.

Arms in exchange for military technology

North Korea supplies Russia with artillery shells and missiles, and in exchange receives technical assistance in launching satellites and missile guidance systems.

These agreements were made possible within the framework of the mutual defense pact signed by DPRK leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin in June 2024 during a summit at the Vostochny Cosmodrome.

The rapprochement between Pyongyang and Moscow is causing concern in the region. Senior officials in South Korea and the United States have already condemned any involvement of the DPRK in the war in Ukraine, saying that it only exacerbates the conflict and isolates the DPRK on the world stage.

In December 2024, the United States imposed sanctions on several North Korean generals, officials, and financial institutions. The reason was that the DPRK sent tens of thousands of its military to participate in the war against Ukraine on the side of Russia.

It has been revealed recently that thousands of North Korean hackers have been posing as Americans, organizing cyberattacks and financing the DPRK army.