Why fight for Russia? Deaths of North Korean officers in Ukraine raises questions about morale

Amid ongoing reports of North Korean troops being deployed in the Ukraine-Russia war, doubts are growing within North Korea about the morale to support Russia’s cause (Image: KCNA)

The deaths of six North Korean military officers in the Russian-occupied part of Ukraine, in a Ukrainian missile strike that wounded 20 other soldiers, highlighted a dilemma for North Korea in its relationship with Russia.

That is that, while military cooperation between the two countries is growing, nothing has been done within North Korea to explain it, let alone generate positive attitudes. 

With some 1,500 North Korean troops believed to be in Russia and another 8,500 about to be sent, according to Ukrainian and South Korean intelligence, the morale question is of immediate significance. Although the lid may be kept on as the country is a dictatorship, pressure will mount if the regime fails to address it.

The atmosphere inside North Korea is complicated and chaotic, especially among the younger generation of soldiers and citizens. None can understand why they should fight for Russia.

This is not such an easy matter to address because the regime itself has not had a positive attitude toward Russia since the collapse over 30 years ago of the Soviet Union

Ever since that “betrayal” of the communist cause and, with it, the end of “friendship prices” (ie, cheap) oil and grain, Pyongyang has been aloof toward Moscow. 

Negativity intensified when both the Soviet Union and China opposed North Korea’s nuclear weapons program, even siding with its enemies. To North Koreans, this was a hindrance of their little country by “great powers” only further justified why they had to rely on their “great leader.” 

North Korea has strongly criticized Soviet and Chinese interference in the process of “military-first politics” and emphasized its self-defense and military power.

Given this context, the sudden establishment of a strategic alliance, and military cooperation to the point of actually deploying troops to support Russia in the war in Europe, caused a lot of confusion. How do young soldiers understand why they should risk their lives for Russia in a conflict they know nothing about? 

While awareness of China is greater, the view of Russia remains tied up in the collapse of the Soviet Union. No new positive image of Russia has been presented within North Korean society to alter that.

According to Lee, who defected in 2016, soldiers have no particular hostility toward Ukraine. The war has nothing to do with their country. It’s hard for soldiers to feel proud when they are deployed to serve Russian interests.

Park, an artillery officer who defected in 2018, believes that, while soldiers are taught to defend their country and people with their lives, it is highly unlikely that any soldiers will view the deaths of their soldiers in Ukraine as honorable in any way. If anything, the incident is likely to cause a backlash within the North Korean military, he said.

Defectors generally concur with this. Ham, who was sent to work in Russia in 2022 and escaped, and Kim, who defected in 2023, said that North Koreans feel no particular admiration or hostility towards Russia or Ukraine. As two countries that were once part of the Soviet Union, neither has ever been involved in direct hostilities with North Korea.

The incident is more likely to be seen as an accident, and, as such, may well lead to a drop in soldier morale and amplify skepticism about the military alliance with Russia. In the long run, this could stir up dissatisfaction within the military and lead to refusal to deploy, or defections. It will be interesting to see how the North Korean authorities manage this situation.

Jang Seiul
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