Kim Jong-un signs ‘North Korea-Russia Treaty’: Will troop deployments to Russia increase?

[Anchor]

North Korea reported that following Russian President Putin, Chairman Kim Jong-un has also signed the North Korea-Russia treaty that was concluded in June.

As this treaty elevates the relationship between the two countries to a military alliance level, it is expected that the deployment of North Korean troops will accelerate further.

Go Eun-hee reports.

[Report]

Just two days after President Putin signed, Chairman Kim Jong-un also signed the 'Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty' concluded between North Korea and Russia.

[Korean Central TV: "The head of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea signed the decree (North Korea-Russia treaty) on November 11, 2024."]

North Korea made this public through domestic and foreign media, also announcing Russia's ratification of the treaty, which is interpreted as an intention to reveal military closeness and commitment to treaty implementation between the two countries.

The treaty takes effect from the day the two countries exchange ratification documents, and our government assessed that this exchange is just a matter of formality, indicating that all necessary procedures for ratification have been completed.

The North Korea-Russia treaty, signed by President Putin during his visit to Pyongyang in June, is evaluated as elevating the relationship between the two countries to a military alliance level.

In particular, Article 4 states that 'if one country is invaded and enters a state of war, military assistance will be provided without delay.'

Since both North Korea and Russia have ratified the treaty, it is expected that North Korean troops deployed to Russia will be officially recognized by both countries and will be actively engaged in combat.

Additionally, as military cooperation between North Korea and Russia strengthens, there are concerns about the possibility of North Korea's further troop deployments and expanded arms support, as well as the transfer of advanced military technology from Russia.

[Park Won-gon / Professor of North Korean Studies at Ewha Womans University: "If the war prolongs, additional deployments of North Korean troops will be inevitable, and in that case, I think there is a possibility that North Korea will leverage the contents of the treaty to demand sensitive technologies related to nuclear and missile capabilities from Russia."]

Previously, President Putin mentioned the possibility of joint military exercises between North Korea and Russia regarding the ratification of the treaty, and the military closeness between the two countries is emerging as a factor that deepens instability in the Korean Peninsula situation.

KBS News, Go Eun-hee.