Creation: Political Economy Group of the Proletarian Liberation Struggle Association
Creation Date: December 19, 2024
Note: Since the North Korean official recently acknowledged its troop deployment, this past political commentary is provided for reference only
Recently, North Korea’s deployment of troops to join the Russia-Ukraine war is a significant development on the battlefield. U.S. Secretary of State Blinken disclosed at a press conference on October 31 that about 8,000 North Korean soldiers had arrived in Kursk, undergoing combat training in artillery, drone operation, and infantry. However, how much can the decayed North Korean army differ from the Russian forces? Recently, in the tense battlefield of Kursk, it seems there is an answer.
On December 17, according to Ukrainian sources, in Kursk Oblast, North Korean troops fought on the front lines of Ukrainian-occupied territory from the 14th to the 16th, with a total of 50 soldiers killed and 47 wounded over three days, with over 200 personnel online. On the 18th, Ukraine’s special operations forces released a series of “first-person view drone” aerial footage widely circulated online. The footage shows some Asian-looking North Korean soldiers becoming targets of precise drone attacks, with several soldiers hiding in the bushes, still being tracked and locked on by drones. The video also recorded scenes of cluster munition explosions, causing heavy casualties.
Such situations prove that North Korean troops have already been massively deployed on the Russia-Ukraine battlefield. In response, Ukrainian intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov revealed that Russia has formed a Russo-North Korean joint force and begun large-scale deployment of North Korean soldiers. However, language barriers have caused serious difficulties in management and coordination within the joint forces.
In fact, war is always a continuation of politics, and the disastrous defeat of North Korean troops on the Russia-Ukraine battlefield is not solely due to language or tactical issues. As a fascist state cloaked in socialism, North Korea is actually extremely reactionary. Even within the core of the monopoly bourgeoisie’s rule—the military—soldiers generally live in dire conditions. Previously, defectors believed that North Korean soldiers dispatched to Russia did not have to worry about food shortages, thus feeling more satisfied. However, as a colonial state within the imperialist bloc of China and Russia, how could North Korean soldiers truly be treated well by the Russian imperialist army? Most likely, North Korea’s troop dispatch is merely a way to exchange “human lives” for military technology aid, used for confrontation on the Korean Peninsula. Earlier South Korean public opinion generally believed that soldiers sent to the Ukrainian battlefield were likely just cannon fodder. Their deaths and injuries would not genuinely improve the lives of the working people in North Korea, and the monthly $2,000 pay would probably end up in Kim Jong-un and his ruling clique’s pockets. In fact, there are reports from Ukraine that North Korean soldiers stationed in Kursk still do not receive enough food supplies, and the Russian military can only allocate reserves from 11 airborne assault brigades to supplement them, which can be described as a case of the pot calling the kettle black.
Faced with heavy casualties, what will North Korea do next? According to South Korean reports, North Korea may accelerate the deployment of a second batch of troops. “Unlike the previously strictly selected elite Storm Corps, recent recruits are mostly voluntary, shortening mobilization time. Farmers and coal miners are expected to be the main sources, as these grassroots communities are eager to improve their social status through military service.” It is understood that after joining the fight, North Korean soldiers can become party members, which may change their personal fate, and their families can enjoy cadre treatment. However, as previously mentioned, whether it is the “compensation” for soldiers or the improvement of their待遇, it is merely a deception and forced conscription of the people. The so-called “deep mobilization” is just the fascist regime of North Korea expanding conscription and increasing oppression of the people. The broader the conscription, the closer both North Korea and Russia are to failure.
