North Korea makes billions from war against Ukraine - South Korea's data
Photo: Russia's Vladimir Putin and North Korea's Kim Jong Un (Getty Images)
North Korea has earned more than $20 billion from helping Russia in its war against Ukraine. Such cooperation between the two dictatorships poses a serious threat, according to the Korea Institute for Defense Analysis (KIDA).
According to KIDA, North Korea's main economic benefit comes from the supply of ammunition to Russia. But the DPRK also profits by sending thousands of its soldiers to fight against Ukraine.
The losses of North Korean troops are significant. Of the 11,000 soldiers sent, 4,000 can no longer continue to participate in combat operations - they have been killed or seriously injured.
The South Korean institute notes that Pyongyang prefers to receive payment from Russia in the form of technological assistance, including modern weapons, which strengthens its military potential and brings its strategic goals closer.
"Russia-North Korea military cooperation raises the chances of Russia stepping in on the Korean peninsula if there's an emergency," the KIDA report says.
According to Newsweek, this data is in line with an analysis by the Open Source Center (OSC) and Reuters, according to which North Korea delivered more than 15,800 containers of ammunition to Russia from August 2023 to March 2025.
OSC analysts believe that North Korea's shipments to Russia help it maintain its offensive momentum and undermine the effectiveness of Western military assistance to Ukraine.
North Korea helps Russia
North Korea is Russia's ally in a full-scale war against Ukraine.
According to the official data of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, North Korea has sent about 12,000 soldiers to participate in the fighting in the Kursk region. North Korea's losses amounted to 4,000 people, 3,000 of whom were wounded.
