North Korea has formally ratified a significant defence agreement with Russia, intensifying their military alliance as thousands of North Korean troops reportedly support Moscow’s operations in Ukraine, according to North Korean state media on Tuesday.
The agreement solidified months of increasingly close military collaboration between the two countries, who shared strong ties throughout the Cold War era.
Both South Korea and the United States have accused North Korea of deploying thousands of soldiers to Russia, allegedly dressed in Russian military attire and stationed near the Ukrainian border.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had ratified the agreement, which will become effective once both nations exchange ratification documents. Russia’s lawmakers approved the pact last week, with President Vladimir Putin adding his signature.
North Korea has emerged as a vocal supporter of Russia’s campaign in Ukraine, with accusations from Western countries that Pyongyang has provided artillery and missile support to Moscow. Reports indicate that support has now expanded to include North Korean troops prepared for combat.
The June partnership treaty, signed during Putin’s visit to North Korea, binds both nations to provide swift military assistance if either is attacked and commits them to opposing Western sanctions on the global stage. Putin lauded the agreement as a “breakthrough document” during the signing.
Experts suggest this formalisation may provide North Korea and Russia with a basis to legitimise North Korean military support in Russia. North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui recently expressed strong support for Russia, referring to Moscow’s military actions in Ukraine as a “sacred struggle” under Putin’s “wise leadership.”
Intelligence sources from South Korea, Ukraine, and the United States estimate that North Korea has already sent around 10,000 troops to aid Russia. When questioned last month, Putin avoided a direct answer on the deployment, instead criticising Western support for Ukraine.
Concerns are mounting in the West that Russia may reciprocate by providing North Korea with technology that could advance its nuclear weapons programme. North Korea recently conducted ballistic missile tests and trialled a new solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
