Link to article: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/what-we-know-about-north-korean-troops-joining-russias-war-ukraine-2024-10-21
As of October 21st, Ukrainian and South Korean officials have claimed that North Korea has been supplying troops to North Korea for war efforts against Ukraine. While the capitals of North Korea and Russia, Pyongyang and Moscow, have denied the accusations, U.S. officials are still in the process of investigating, stating that if true, this move would be concerning. This sentiment was seconded by Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister of Britain, who declared that these reports “show a level of desperation” in Russia. According to South Korea, Ukraine, and the United States, Russia has already had ballistic missiles and artillery in its possession courtesy of North Korea, and it is likely that additional troops won’t necessarily give Russia the upper hand, but will instead prolong the war.
This move by North Korea is a cause for concern because it shows a growing amount of support to Russia. We have already seen military contributions from them to Russia in the form of ballistic missiles, but supplying troops and military personnel is a very alarming move. If North Korea has decided to deploy troops to Russia, there could be an increase in international involvement, particularly on the side of Ukraine. Additionally, South Korea’s claims against North Korea could indicate growing tensions between the two countries, and a possible addition to Ukraine’s forces through South Korea.
It is growing increasingly evident that Russia will likely be using North Korean forces in their upcoming war efforts, since troops have already been seen training in Russian military centers. If North Korea has already supplied ballistic missiles, artillery, and now troops to Russia, it is likely they will continue to become more and more involved in the conflict. Pertaining to South Korea, officials have reported North Korean troops to Russia as well, which could indicate escalating tensions between South and North Korea, and could even mean a contribution of some sort from South Korea to Ukraine. As for Ukraine, it seems as though, if North Korean troops are sent into war by Russia, Ukrainian forces will be forced to fight North Korean forces as well as Russian forces.
In terms of this particular event, this could be linked to the idea of a security dilemma, which has been discussed in class. A security dilemma is defined as a state taking action to ensure its own security, at the same time forcing another state to retaliate because of threats to their security. This can be seen throughout the war, since February 2022 when Russia invaded and Ukraine was forced to retaliate. However, it has also been present recently, as Russia has taken action, gaining North Korean troops, to ensure its own security, while threatening another state’s security, Ukraine, which will force it to retaliate.