Dr. S Bushra Batool
As the North Korea and Russia ratify the landmark mutual defence treaty, the security concerns of many countries grow over increasing military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang. With the signing of the DPRK-Russia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the evolving relationship between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and Russia, has entered into a new phase since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The  this partnership encompasses military, economic, and technological cooperation, challenging US-ROK (Republic of Korea) alliance strategies and potentially intensifying regional arms races and provocations.
This partnership; as declared as an alliance by DPRK’s Premier Un, was formalized during Putin’s 2024 visit to Pyongyang, has now been ratified by Russia on 6 November hence entering into force, seems to be a beneficial alliance for both Russia and DPRK. The arrangement was finalized amid months of growing security cooperation with North Korea including the reported transfer of weapons to Russia and the deployment of thousands of North Korean soldiers to support Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The visit of Putin was reciprocated by DPRK premier Kim Jong Un’s visit to Russia in September 2023. Whereas the country had largely remained isolated from the outside world, the DPRK’s selective engagement strategy underscores its prioritization of relationships with Russia that bolster its security and economic interests amidst global tensions. Having followed isolation for decades, the DPRK appears to be gradually pursuing re-engagement, albeit highly selectively in maintaining control over granting access to the country only to “trusted” diplomatic counterparts.
Whereas for Russia, North Korea is a strategic partner a trusted friend that Russia can rely on. This is particularly true provided that North Korea was among the five nations that opposed the UN resolution in early March 2022, condemning Russia’s invasion. Additionally, North Korea was one of the initial three countries to acknowledge the independence of the Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic, the two regions in eastern Ukraine under Russian occupation.
Reportedly, the DRPK delivered infantry rockets and missiles to the Wagner Private Military Company, one of Russia’s military arms, as of the end of 2022, and DPRK has previously been accused of covertly supplying a significant amount of artillery shells to Moscow in November 2022, in exchange for coal, oil, and other goods from Russia. Putin during his visit to DPRK also reiterated Russia’s commitment to openly aid the DPRK.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, there has been a gradual yet quite evident shift in many of the world’s geopolitical hotspots. The changing geopolitical realities are the motivating forces for such regional alliances in making. From a regional perspective, the DPRK-Russia treaty completes the array of agreements, the China-DPRK agreement for instance; necessary to ensure a response to US- led initiatives in Northeast Asia and the broader Indo- Pacific region, like the AUKUS and Quad initiatives.
Similarly, Republic of Korea and Japan are also opting to increase their own military spending, strengthen bilateral and trilateral relations with the United States. As former Russian Premier Dmitry Medvedev openly stated that were the DPRK and Russia to be lacking nuclear weapons, the West would have already attacked them. Furthermore, Russia has been secretly shielding and aiding the DPRK in its quest to pursue more advanced nuclear and conventional military capabilities, supporting, for instance, missile launches as well as space industry initiatives.
The profound acknowledgment of the DPRK’s ambitious engagements with Russia can be a reminiscent of the 1961 Soviet-DPRK treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance. Putin’s letter published in the Rodong Sinmun ahead of the visit, for instance, highlighted the 70-year robust relationship built on equality and mutual respect, thanked Pyongyang for supporting Russia’s actions in Ukraine, and pledged to support the DPRK against US pressures and to build new security architecture in Eurasia with alternative trade mechanisms to resist Western restrictions. Article 4 of DPRK-Russia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership ratified recently expanded the mutual defense clause. The 5th clause encompasses long-term cooperation across military, economic, sociocultural, and political spheres, potentially resulting in substantial impacts on regional and global stability.
Article 6 polices the actions of Moscow and Pyongyang, requiring each side to avoid agreements or actions with third countries that undermine the other’s sovereignty, security, or core interests. This understanding was earlier reflected with the opposition of DPRK to the UN resolution against Russia in March 2022, as mentioned earlier. Articles 8 to 14 enshrine a long-term perspective within the relationship, encompassing military cooperation (Article 8), broad economic cooperation (Articles 9 and 10), and specific interactions in various fields (Articles 11 to 14) as objectives and possibilities.
This partnership would not only serve defence partnership, but has economic imperatives as well. In addition to supplying artillery shells to Moscow in November 2022, in exchange for coal, oil, it is reported that, as of April 2024 several North Korean oil tankers, that allegedly violated UNSC resolutions, visited a far eastern Russian port and were apparently loaded with refined petroleum products that were shipped back to North Korea.
Further, the return of the Lady K freighter in early May and the Angara cargo ship to the port of Rason in conjunction with Putin’s visit indicates the continuation of trade between the two. Additionally, the undeterred arms trade and technological transfer between Moscow and Pyongyang and the looming possibility of joint naval drills will likely have a detrimental impact on regional stability giving flight to the arms race and the ensuing heightened threat perceptions.
Russia has also been offering financial support to DPRK, as indicated by the release of $9 million from the $30 million DPRK assets frozen in a Russian bank. Russia has been stipulating agreements and pursuing collaborative trade initiatives with the DPRK in order to instigate long-term economic cooperation, in wake of the loss of European markets, and establish a well-tried and tested channel of sanctions’ circumvention.
For South Korea, still technically at war with its northern neighbour, the cooperation with Russia by its primary foe has raised fears Pyongyang could receive advanced nuclear technology from Moscow in return for its support in Ukraine. South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has already warned:
“If North Korea dispatches Special Forces to the Ukraine war as part of Russia-North Korea cooperation, we will support Ukraine in stages and also review and implement measures necessary for security on the Korean Peninsula,” This might prompt a faster and more diverse military build-up in the US-ROK alliance that would sense new challenges, especially in the Korean peninsula, the European continent and Asia at large, leading to an unimaginable chaos in the world.
The author is a Research Officer at Rabita Forum International (RFI).
