Kim Jong Un's troops set to bolster Russia in Ukraine conflict
Kim Jong Un's soldiers are set to assist Russia in the war with Ukraine. "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."
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 went to assist Egypt during the Yom Kippur War in 1973. In 2016, North Koreans went 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, repeating his earlier statement in the 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 interviewee from "The New York Times" suggests North Korea will analyze 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 emphasizes that Pyongyang will use the experiences gained in Ukraine to improve its own armaments.
