North Korea's young recruits: Untested allies in Russia's ranks
Most of the soldiers from North Korea sent to Russia are young recruits, around 20 years old, who have recently joined the army, according to the South Korean newspaper "JoongAng," citing military sources. Moscow is expected to pay each soldier about $2,000 CAD per month.
According to experts quoted by the newspaper, sending young soldiers to Russia is part of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's strategy aimed at "minimizing losses among experienced soldiers."
The South Korean Defense Intelligence Agency pointed out that military conscription in North Korea starts at the age of 17 and emphasized that many of the soldiers sent to Russia were born between 2005 and 2007.
A scholar from the Korea Institute for National Unification, Oh Gyeong-seob, suggested that it is "easier to control" newly-enlisted soldiers because they are "less prone to desertion."
The National Intelligence Service (NIS) of South Korea revealed this week that each North Korean soldier will receive a salary of about $2,000 CAD per month. Media note that this amount significantly exceeds the average annual income of a typical North Korean.
However, Radio Free Asia (RFA) reminded that the regime authorities in Pyongyang usually keep most of the wages paid to workers sent abroad, so there is no certainty about how much money the soldiers will actually receive.
Russians impressed by the physical condition of North Koreans
According to the NIS report, cited on Thursday (ET) by South Korean lawmakers, Russian instructors were impressed with the good physical condition and morale of North Koreans. However, they noted a lack of understanding of modern warfare, including the use of attack drones, which could lead to significant personnel losses when they are deployed on the front lines.
The United States and South Korea disclosed that at least 3,000 soldiers were transported from North Korea to Russia in October. By the end of the year, Pyongyang is expected to transfer 10,000 troops there. On Thursday (ET), Japanese and Ukrainian media reported that about 2,000 North Korean soldiers, who completed training at training grounds in Russia's Far East, are being transported by train to the European part of the country, near the border with Ukraine.
