South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun stated during parliamentary hearings that North Korea might send regular troops to Ukraine to support russia's invasion forces. This potential deployment, according to Kim, is tied to the military treaty between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the russian federation.
This aligns with reports that North Korean military personnel are already present in occupied Ukrainian territories, serving as "advisors," according to Ukraine's state-affiliated Center for Countering Disinformation. Moreover, the foreigners have already sustained losses: unofficial sources claim that a Ukrainian precision strike on October 3 killed six Korean officers, along with 14 russian counterparts.
Read more: North Korean Shells Supplied to russia Are Still Bad But the Quantity is Overwhelming
As of now, Seoul has not provided additional details, and this revelation was not even the primary focus of the defense minister's report. South Korea's main concern remains Pyongyang's intention to redraw its maritime border, grabbing more territory southward.
However, the possibility of North Korea sending troops to Ukraine, in addition to its ongoing supply of millions of artillery shells and ballistic missiles to russia, remains credible. The topic has been discussed in media outlets for months.
For instance, in June 2024, Pyongyang considered sending engineering troops to assist russia in building fortifications, though these troops would not engage directly in combat. Defense Express, however, explained that this is unlikely to happen because russia already has a large engineering force. After all, even without help from the DPRK, russia had constructed 6,000 kilometers of fortified defense lines by the fall of 2023.
We also analyzed how much equipment North Korea has, including artillery systems which are of particular interest to the russian military. But objectively, what the russian federation needs the most right now is manpower ready to fight. This is where the DPRK can assist with its armed force of 1.28 million people, of which 1.1 million are assigned to the ground forces.
The North Korean military consists of 1 armored division, 15 separate armored brigades, 6 mechanized divisions, 27 infantry divisions, 14 infantry brigades, 1 artillery division, 21 artillery brigades, and 9 missile and artillery brigades.
Additionally, there's the elite troops labeled special forces that include 3 airborne brigades, 10 sniper brigades, 9 light infantry brigades, 17 reconnaissance battalions, and 8 special operations battalions.
Furthermore, the DPRK's navy includes 60,000 personnel, its air force comprises 110,000, and its strategic missile forces have 10,000 members. These numbers come from the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies, though they are estimates.
The DPRK, with the fifth-largest military in the world, is just 200,000 personnel short of russia's declared military strength. Conscription in North Korea lasts 10 years for men and 5 years for women, and the country’s population stands at roughly 26 million.
That said, it is believed that a significant portion of North Korea's military is engaged in non-combat roles, such as agriculture, industry, and construction. The number of combat-ready units may be smaller, but given the DPRK’s doctrine of overwhelming the enemy with sheer numbers of cannon fodder, this may not pose a concern.
It remains unclear how many troops Pyongyang might send to Ukraine. Typically, when siding with a party at war, countries form so-called expeditionary forces for conflicts evolving far from homeland that comprise their most trained and battle-ready units. For North Korea, this likely means airborne brigades and reconnaissance battalions.
North Korean commanders are expected to prioritize ideological loyalty when selecting soldiers for this mission, ensuring that the troops remain committed during combat rather than fleeing once hostilities break out or even sooner.
Read more: What Kind of Engineering Force has russia, That Managed to Create Powerful Fortifications in Ukraine
