North Korea promises “unstoppable” support for Russia in “sacred war”

“ Cborn of the victory of the Russian Federation in the present sacred war to defend the security interests of the country and international justice, I promise my unwavering support for you, my dear friend, and the Russian people brother”, Kim Jong Un wrote in missive, according to the state agency KCNA.

“My will and that of the Government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea are firm and without a doubt we want to extend and deepen the joint work with the Russian Federation in a comprehensive way,” he added.

Moscow and Pyongyang concluded a defense agreement in 2024, and thousands of North Korean soldiers participated in the fighting against Ukrainian forces in the Russian Kursk region between 2024 and 2025.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated in August that North Korea was planning to return between 30,000 and 50,000 soldiers to Russian territory, without specifying the origin of the numbers, and that it supplied ballistic missiles to the Russian army.

South Korean military intelligence later reported having detected preparations for a new shipment, although it does not consider it imminent, while the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Yojong classified Kiev's claims as false.

Seoul estimates that Pyongyang has sent about 15,000 combat soldiers and over 6,000 engineers and construction personnel to Russia since October 2024.

For its part, Kiev calculated last month that about 8,500 North Korean military personnel remained deployed in Russian territory, especially in the Kursk region.

According to the South Korean authorities, North Korea has provided weapons and military equipment to Russia in exchange for economic support and transfer of defense technology.

The South Korean central bank estimated in July that the North Korean economy grew by more than 3% in 2025, pointing to cooperation with Moscow as an “important driver”, which provides foreign currency, military technology and significant financial, energy and food aid to the country.

At the beginning of September last year the two countries also inaugurated their first road link, through a bridge over the Tumen River, which marks the short common border.