What's happened
North Korea has deployed over 10,000 troops to support Russia in Ukraine, receiving military technology in return. South Korean officials report that Russia has supplied air-defense missiles and other military equipment to bolster North Korea's capabilities amid ongoing tensions in the region.
Why it matters
What the papers say
According to The Guardian, South Korea's national security adviser Shin Won-sik stated that North Korea has received anti-aircraft missiles from Russia to strengthen its air defenses. The New York Times adds that North Korea has sent approximately 11,000 troops to Ukraine, seeking advanced military technology in return. Meanwhile, the South China Morning Post highlights that this military cooperation could allow North Korea to bypass its traditional reliance on China, positioning itself within the Russian war economy.
How we got here
The deployment follows a mutual aid agreement signed in June between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin, aimed at strengthening military cooperation against Western sanctions and enhancing North Korea's military technology.
More on these topics
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Kim Jong-un is a North Korean politician who has been the supreme leader of North Korea since 2011 and chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea since 2012.
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North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, is a country in East Asia constituting the northern part of the Korean Peninsula.
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Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which borders it to the east and northeast.
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South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea, is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea.
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Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country located in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. Covering an area of 17,125,200 square kilometres, it is the largest country in the world by area, spanning more than one-eighth of the Earth's in
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Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as President of Russia since 2012, previously holding the position from 1999 until 2008.