North Korean troops set to bolster Russia in Ukrainian conflict
Kim Jong Un's soldiers are set to assist Russia in the war with Ukraine. "It seems that North Korea doesn't like to miss an opportunity to participate in a war and gain experience," says Yang Uk, a military expert at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul, in an interview with "The New York Times."
Since the end of the Korean War, North Korea has not participated in other major conflicts. Still, it has consistently sought opportunities to sell arms and provide military assistance to its allies. The war in Ukraine is no exception, according to "The New York Times."
The newspaper recalls that the Kim dynasty sent pilots to Vietnam. North Korean pilots also assisted Egypt during the Yom Kippur War in 1973. In 2016, North Koreans travelled to Syria, where they fought alongside forces loyal to Bashar Al-Assad's regime.
"It has been a pattern: When North Korea has sold weapons to countries at war, they sent personnel not only to help those countries use the weapons, but often also to fight there themselves. They don’t seem to like missing opportunities to fight in a war and gain experience," says Yang Uk, a military expert at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul, in an interview with "The New York Times."
Pyongyang wants to gather experience
The expert points out that if Pyongyang sends troops to Ukraine, it will be "their first major war in decades, an opportunity where their officers could get a sample of how modern war is fought, including the use of drones." The "The New York Times" interviewee suggests North Korea will analyse how the knowledge gained in Ukraine can be applied to the Korean Peninsula.
Yang Mu-jin, the president of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, further emphasises that Pyongyang will use the experiences gained in Ukraine to improve its armaments.
