Russia provided North Korea with anti-aircraft missiles in exchange for sending troops to support Moscow's war in Ukraine, South Korea's top security advisor said Friday.
The U.S. and South Korea have accused North Korea of sending more than 10,000 soldiers to assist Russia in its fight against Ukraine. Experts suggest that Kim Jong Un sought advanced technology and battlefield experience for his forces in return.
When asked what Seoul believes North Korea received in exchange for the troops, security advisor Shin Won-sik said, "It has been confirmed that equipment, including anti-aircraft missiles to bolster Pyongyang's vulnerable air defense, was delivered to North Korea."
Speaking to local broadcaster SBS, Shin added that North Korea has received "various forms of economic support" and, "following the failure (launch) on May 27, North Korea has been working on satellite-related technology."
Experts have said that in return for the troops, North Korea likely aimed to acquire military technology, ranging from surveillance satellites to submarines, as well as possible security guarantees from Moscow.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a strategic partnership treaty in June during the Kremlin chief's visit.
The treaty obligates both states to provide military assistance "without delay" in the event of an attack on the other and to cooperate internationally to oppose Western sanctions.
Putin hailed the deal as a "breakthrough document."
Experts say Pyongyang could be using the war in Ukraine as a way to realign its foreign policy.
By sending soldiers, North Korea is positioning itself within the Russian war economy as a supplier of weapons, military support, and labor – potentially bypassing its traditional ally, neighbor, and main trading partner, China, according to analysts.
Russia could also provide North Korea access to its vast natural resources, such as oil and gas, they say.
North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui recently visited Moscow and said her country would "stand firmly by our Russian comrades until victory day."
She called Moscow's offensive against Ukraine a "sacred struggle" and expressed confidence in Putin's "wise leadership."
Both North Korea and Russia are under a series of U.N. sanctions – North Korea for its nuclear weapons program, and Russia for its war on Ukraine.
When asked publicly about the deployment of North Korean troops last month, Putin deflected the question, criticizing the West's support of Ukraine.
North Korea said last month that any troop deployment to Russia would be "an act conforming with the regulations of international law," but stopped short of confirming that it had sent soldiers.
North Korea's deployment of troops has led to a shift in tone from Seoul, which has resisted calls to send lethal weapons to Kyiv but recently indicated it might reconsider its longstanding policy.
