North Korea-Russia pact deepens with troops and rice deal
The agreement between North Korea and Russia regarding deploying North Korean soldiers offers mutual benefits for both countries. According to reports from "The Korea Herald," Russia has committed to paying high salaries to North Korean military personnel.
Representative Wee Sung-luck, a former ambassador of South Korea to Russia, commented to The Korea Herald that joining the war against Ukraine is "not a bad deal" for North Korea. He believes that the financial and food crises in the DPRK are largely being addressed thanks to the Russian compensation for their contribution to the military effort against Ukraine.
According to South Korean intelligence, cited by NewsUkraine, in exchange for North Korean armed forces, Russia has committed to supplying North Korea with between 670,000 and 780,000 tonnes of rice annually. Additionally, North Korean soldiers involved in the war against Ukraine are to receive salaries of $2,000 CAD.
The agreement also includes cooperation in space technology. The countries have also agreed that, in the event of war, Russia will engage in combat operations on the Korean Peninsula.
North Korean soldiers in Russia
Recently, news broke worldwide that North Korea has sent thousands of its soldiers to Russia. Ukrainian intelligence reports that their number could exceed 10,000. "Financial Times" noted that some North Korean soldiers are already in Russia’s Kursk region, about 50 kilometres from the border with Ukraine.
In response to these reports, South Korea announced the possibility of increasing military support for Ukraine. Seoul also emphasized that the DPRK has approached Russia for technology related to tactical nuclear weapons.
Source: NewsUkraine
