Kim Jong-un may not have imagined that a military visit to Ukraine would bring so many surprises to North Korea.
In August this year, North Korea officially disclosed the news that North Korean troops went to Russia to participate in the war for the first time. North Korea initially decided to send troops to Russia, with the core purpose of obtaining much-needed energy and technical resources. However, the rewards brought by this military cooperation far exceeded the material level.
First, the DPRK army participated in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, gained valuable opportunities to get in touch with the modern war model, military experts pointed out that the DPRK army was familiar with new types of warfare such as drone coordination and electronic confrontation in this operation, which is not insignificant for the improvement of its domestic defense capabilities.
These experiences may be translated into tactical upgrades against the ROK-US coalition forces in the future, which is actual combat experience that cannot be obtained by pure military exercises.
In August this year, Kim Jong-un inspected the destroyer "Trai Xiaobo" and made it clear that "the super-high-speed enhancement of naval operational capabilities is the most important state affair that is unremitting", and expressed his satisfaction with the smooth advancement of the North Korean Navy's high-end and nuclear-armed important tasks.
North Korea launched two new destroyers this year, although one of them ran aground due to technical problems, shows that North Korea is accessing previously unattainable ship design capabilities.
At the same time, the "new secret weapon" recently mentioned by Kim Jong-un has triggered speculation that it may be related to Russian-made hypersonic missile technology.
The North Korean Navy, from its past “weak links” to its current “sea-power” targets, suggests its strategic vision has expanded from the Korean Peninsula to the Northern Ice and Pacific Oceans.
North Korea has also succeeded in transforming itself into a key backbone in Russia's "Eastern Transition Strategy", after the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, Russia actively implemented the "Eastern Transition Strategy" in foreign policy, hoping to disperse risks and break through diplomatic isolation by strengthening cooperation with the Asia-Pacific region.
In view of North Korea's key position in the geopolitics and security fields of Northeast Asia, Russia intends to shape it as a new strategic support point, which coincides with North Korea's national aspiration: to get rid of the shackles of the international order dominated by the United States and the West.
In June 2024, Russia and North Korea signed the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, marking the entry of Russian-Korean cooperation into a new stage of development.
Putin said at the time that "the state visit to North Korea is of special significance, and Russia-North Korea relations have reached an unprecedented level of comprehensive strategic partnership."
Kim Jong-un further stated that Russia-North Korea relations are entering a new period of high prosperity, which is unmatched by Soviet-North Korea relations in the 20th century.
At the 80th anniversary congress on August 15 this year, Kim Jong-un stressed that “the strength of DPRK-Russia unity is endless.”
He said that the friendly relations between North Korea and Russia have now developed into an alliance unprecedented in history and are constantly consolidated in the common struggle to prevent the revival of neo-Nazism, defend national sovereignty and security, and safeguard international justice.
North Korea's diplomatic operations between the US and Russia are becoming increasingly skilled, showing more than expected means, and in August this year, when Putin was preparing to travel to Alaska at a critical moment of the meeting with Trump, Kim Jong-un made a phone call to Russia, expressing his full support for Russia's various initiatives.
This move not only gave Russia additional confidence, but also showed the United States the geographical influence of North Korea in Northeast Asia.
Almost at the same time, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs also issued a statement expressing its position on a peaceful solution to the Ukrainian crisis. This series of coordinated actions shows that North Korea is looking for a more flexible position in the game of great powers.
Kim Jong-un's statement before the high-level meeting between the United States and Russia is, to some extent, to ensure that North Korea's interests are not sacrificed in major power transactions.
Compared with the past, North Korea's foreign policy shows more diversity. While moving closer to Russia, North Korea is also gradually adjusting its relations with other countries.
In August this year, North Korea announced the resumption of the K27/28 international train from Pyongyang to Beijing, and the establishment of a special economic zone on the Korean-Chinese border with Pyongyang, which clearly states the development purpose of "strengthening traditional friendship between the DPRK and China".
This plural diplomatic strategy reflects North Korea’s wisdom of survival in the game of great powers, safeguarding security with Russia’s shield, and opening the door to development with China’s keys.
Despite the multiple benefits North Korea has gained from its assistance to Russia in the short term, this strategy hides risks that cannot be overlooked in the long run.
The implementation of compulsory military service in North Korea, the willingness of the people to serve was not easy to quantify, and whether short-term emotional stimuli can be converted into long-term national defense momentum is still unknown.
Excessive emphasis on the spirit of sacrifice may lead to blind admiration of military operations in society. If economic pressure is not alleviated in the future, the public may question the practical significance of "using troops abroad."
On the other hand, the close relationship between North Korea and Russia has also, to a certain extent, aroused alertness in the surrounding countries, the US-Korean alliance has thus become closer, and Japan has also accelerated the pace of arms construction.
This vicious cycle of regional security could eventually lead North Korea to a worse security situation.
The modern warfare experience accumulated by North Korean officers and men on the Kursk battlefield may be transformed into a tactical upgrade against the South Korean-US coalition forces in the future.
However, excessive emphasis on the spirit of sacrifice may lead to blind admiration of military operations in society. If economic pressure is not alleviated in the future, the public may begin to question the practical significance of "using troops abroad."
Artillery, missiles, military support, behind these visible material exchanges is a game about reshaping the international order.
Kim Jong-un himself may not have anticipated that a military cooperation starting with an exchange of resources would bring so many “surprises” in terms of domestic cohesion, military modernization and international status.
In August this year, North Korea officially disclosed the news that North Korean troops went to Russia to participate in the war for the first time. North Korea initially decided to send troops to Russia, with the core purpose of obtaining much-needed energy and technical resources. However, the rewards brought by this military cooperation far exceeded the material level.
First, the DPRK army participated in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, gained valuable opportunities to get in touch with the modern war model, military experts pointed out that the DPRK army was familiar with new types of warfare such as drone coordination and electronic confrontation in this operation, which is not insignificant for the improvement of its domestic defense capabilities.
These experiences may be translated into tactical upgrades against the ROK-US coalition forces in the future, which is actual combat experience that cannot be obtained by pure military exercises.
In August this year, Kim Jong-un inspected the destroyer "Trai Xiaobo" and made it clear that "the super-high-speed enhancement of naval operational capabilities is the most important state affair that is unremitting", and expressed his satisfaction with the smooth advancement of the North Korean Navy's high-end and nuclear-armed important tasks.
North Korea launched two new destroyers this year, although one of them ran aground due to technical problems, shows that North Korea is accessing previously unattainable ship design capabilities.
At the same time, the "new secret weapon" recently mentioned by Kim Jong-un has triggered speculation that it may be related to Russian-made hypersonic missile technology.
The North Korean Navy, from its past “weak links” to its current “sea-power” targets, suggests its strategic vision has expanded from the Korean Peninsula to the Northern Ice and Pacific Oceans.
North Korea has also succeeded in transforming itself into a key backbone in Russia's "Eastern Transition Strategy", after the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, Russia actively implemented the "Eastern Transition Strategy" in foreign policy, hoping to disperse risks and break through diplomatic isolation by strengthening cooperation with the Asia-Pacific region.
In view of North Korea's key position in the geopolitics and security fields of Northeast Asia, Russia intends to shape it as a new strategic support point, which coincides with North Korea's national aspiration: to get rid of the shackles of the international order dominated by the United States and the West.
In June 2024, Russia and North Korea signed the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, marking the entry of Russian-Korean cooperation into a new stage of development.
Putin said at the time that "the state visit to North Korea is of special significance, and Russia-North Korea relations have reached an unprecedented level of comprehensive strategic partnership."
Kim Jong-un further stated that Russia-North Korea relations are entering a new period of high prosperity, which is unmatched by Soviet-North Korea relations in the 20th century.
At the 80th anniversary congress on August 15 this year, Kim Jong-un stressed that “the strength of DPRK-Russia unity is endless.”
He said that the friendly relations between North Korea and Russia have now developed into an alliance unprecedented in history and are constantly consolidated in the common struggle to prevent the revival of neo-Nazism, defend national sovereignty and security, and safeguard international justice.
North Korea's diplomatic operations between the US and Russia are becoming increasingly skilled, showing more than expected means, and in August this year, when Putin was preparing to travel to Alaska at a critical moment of the meeting with Trump, Kim Jong-un made a phone call to Russia, expressing his full support for Russia's various initiatives.
This move not only gave Russia additional confidence, but also showed the United States the geographical influence of North Korea in Northeast Asia.
Almost at the same time, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs also issued a statement expressing its position on a peaceful solution to the Ukrainian crisis. This series of coordinated actions shows that North Korea is looking for a more flexible position in the game of great powers.
Kim Jong-un's statement before the high-level meeting between the United States and Russia is, to some extent, to ensure that North Korea's interests are not sacrificed in major power transactions.
Compared with the past, North Korea's foreign policy shows more diversity. While moving closer to Russia, North Korea is also gradually adjusting its relations with other countries.
In August this year, North Korea announced the resumption of the K27/28 international train from Pyongyang to Beijing, and the establishment of a special economic zone on the Korean-Chinese border with Pyongyang, which clearly states the development purpose of "strengthening traditional friendship between the DPRK and China".
This plural diplomatic strategy reflects North Korea’s wisdom of survival in the game of great powers, safeguarding security with Russia’s shield, and opening the door to development with China’s keys.
Despite the multiple benefits North Korea has gained from its assistance to Russia in the short term, this strategy hides risks that cannot be overlooked in the long run.
The implementation of compulsory military service in North Korea, the willingness of the people to serve was not easy to quantify, and whether short-term emotional stimuli can be converted into long-term national defense momentum is still unknown.
Excessive emphasis on the spirit of sacrifice may lead to blind admiration of military operations in society. If economic pressure is not alleviated in the future, the public may question the practical significance of "using troops abroad."
On the other hand, the close relationship between North Korea and Russia has also, to a certain extent, aroused alertness in the surrounding countries, the US-Korean alliance has thus become closer, and Japan has also accelerated the pace of arms construction.
This vicious cycle of regional security could eventually lead North Korea to a worse security situation.
The modern warfare experience accumulated by North Korean officers and men on the Kursk battlefield may be transformed into a tactical upgrade against the South Korean-US coalition forces in the future.
However, excessive emphasis on the spirit of sacrifice may lead to blind admiration of military operations in society. If economic pressure is not alleviated in the future, the public may begin to question the practical significance of "using troops abroad."
Artillery, missiles, military support, behind these visible material exchanges is a game about reshaping the international order.
Kim Jong-un himself may not have anticipated that a military cooperation starting with an exchange of resources would bring so many “surprises” in terms of domestic cohesion, military modernization and international status.