A recent analysis suggests that North Korea is leveraging the Ukraine war as an opportunity to test its weapon systems and provide its soldiers with real combat experience. While North Korea publicly claims to be supporting Russian forces, its underlying objective appears to be experimenting with new military technology in live conflict and exposing its troops to modern warfare.
According to a report by The New York Times, North Korea’s involvement in the war represents a significant departure from its historical military engagements. “For decades, North Korea has provided military support and sold weapons abroad, but it has not gained real combat experience,” the report states. “The only previous instances were the deployment of fighter pilots to North Vietnam during the Vietnam War and to Egypt during the Egypt-Syria War. This is the first time North Korea has deployed thousands of troops to a major conflict like this.”
David Maxwell, Vice President at the Center for Asia Pacific Strategy, remarked that North Korea’s military could gain valuable learning experiences despite potential troop losses. Mark Fitzpatrick, a former deputy assistant secretary of state for nonproliferation, added that the combat experience would ultimately enhance North Korea’s military capabilities and allow them to negotiate with Russia from a stronger position.
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