Russia and North Korea
- Journalisme
- Dec 22, 2024
- 5 min read
Russia and North Korea: A strategic alliance in the face of international isolation?
Article by Antoine Martin
A historic rapprochement accelerated by international sanctions
Military alliance : Russia and North Korea strengthen their strategic links
Economy and humanitarianism: What are the stakes behind the Russian-North Korean partnership?
An alliance that redraws the global geopolitical map
A historic rapprochement accelerated by international sanctions
Since the demise of the Soviet Union, Russia has gradually lost influence in Northeast Asia. The economic collapse of the 1990s, the reduction of military forces in the Far East over the following decade, the loss of strategic allies and the conflicts in Chechnya have weakened its resources and its ability to pursue major geopolitical ambitions. Meanwhile, China has emerged as a growing economic and military power, viewing Russia as a junior partner in their bilateral relations.
In February 2022, the Russian army, under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, crossed the Ukrainian border, first in the Donbass region, but also in Crimea and Kharkiv. This intervention quickly isolated Russia on the international diplomatic stage, while meeting with unexpected Ukrainian resistance. As a result, a series of sanctions hit the Russian economy, affecting sectors such as finance, energy, technology, industry and transport. Finance, banking, energy, technology, manufacturing, and transportation have all been impacted by a range of immediate and profound effects. China, by increasing its purchases of Russian oil and gas, has allowed Russia to stabilise its economy despite these Western sanctions. Isolated more than ever, Russia has had to adapt to an increasingly hostile global economic and diplomatic environment, forcing it to turn to other Asian partners, notably North Korea.
The Kim dynasty, which has ruled North Korea since 1948, has transformed the country into a totalitarian, hereditary dictatorship, with isolation marked by the repression of dissent and the development of nuclear programs. International sanctions imposed in response to these programs have weakened the North Korean economy, limiting its trade and access to foreign currency. However, these sanctions have not curbed the regime’s military ambitions, and malnutrition remains a problem in the country.
In the early 2000s, relations between Russia and North Korea strengthened, leading to several meetings in 2019 between Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-Un in Vladivostok, where bilateral relations were discussed, prospects for economic and military cooperation, but also more broadly the situation on the Korean peninsula. North Korea now sees Russia as an important strategic partner capable of providing vital economic and technological support with the aim of reducing dependence on another key ally, China.
Military alliance : Russia and North Korea strengthen their strategic links
On June 19, 2023, the two countries signed military and economic cooperation agreements. These agreements provide for exchanges in the areas of natural resources, energy, as well as the modernisation of infrastructure. Infrastructure projects, such as the modernization of railways linking the two countries, are also envisaged to facilitate trade and exchanges.
On the diplomatic front, regular meetings between Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un illustrate a mutual desire to consolidate this strategic alliance. In September 2023, a defense agreement was signed during a meeting described by the North Korean leader as “an absolute priority”, providing for exchanges of military technology and joint exercises. South Korea's National Intelligence Service confirmed that "after the summit" between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, "the North provided Moscow with the plan and data for the first and second satellite launches. Russia in turn analysed the data and provided feedback to the North." Jonah Leff of Conflict Armament Research (CAR), which tracks the use of weapons in wars, told the Security Council that he had found evidence of North Korean ballistic missile use in Ukraine.
Kim Jong Un has eagerly welcomed the rapprochement between Moscow and Pyongyang. "The relations between our countries are entering an era of new and great prosperity that cannot be compared even with the period of Soviet-Korean relations in the last century," the North Korean leader was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies.
Economy and humanitarianism: What are the stakes behind the Russian-North Korean partnership?
“Russia needs North Korea’s support in matters of weapons because of the protracted war in Ukraine, while North Korea needs Russia’s support for food, energy and advanced weapons to ease the pressure of sanctions,” indicated by the AFP Koh Yu-hwan, emeritus professor of North Korean studies at Dongguk University. The North Korean regime, since the start of the conflict in Ukraine, has become a key supplier of munitions to Moscow, facilitating Russia’s war effort. In return, Russia has consolidated its positions in North Korea in terms of food and energy, and offered support to modernise its defense industrial capacity. These various bilateral military and diplomatic partnerships also have repercussions in other areas, particularly in the space sector. Since 2012, the North Korean regime has used a Chinese satellite to broadcast the programs of Choson Chung’ang T’ellebijyon (KCTV), the state television. It was on July 4, 2024 that Pyongyang preferred Moscow to Beijing by abandoning the ChinaSat-12 previously covering large parts of Asia, Europe and Africa. This change came two weeks after the meeting between the two Russian and North Korean leaders at the summit on last June 19.
An alliance that redraws the global geopolitical map
Last year, the United States, Japan and South Korea agreed to strengthen their security and defense cooperation. A summit on this issue was held in July, in parallel with the NATO summit in Washington. The trilateral alliance aims to address growing challenges in the region, taking into account the actions of both China and North Korea. If these three countries, supported by others such as Australia and the United Kingdom, choose to increase their defensive military presence in East Asia, this could lead to a response from China, which could attribute this development to Russia’s decisions.
Vladimir Putin’s visit to Pyongyang is part of a complex dynamic. It reflects a rapprochement between Russia and North Korea, with Pyongyang expressing support for Russian military intervention in Ukraine and the preservation of Russia’s territorial integrity. In return, North Korea could expect increased political and military support from Moscow, particularly given the growing tensions on the Korean Peninsula. This rapprochement is not without creating challenges for China, which maintains relations with North Korea in order to maintain a balance of power in East Asia, particularly in the face of South Korea and Japan’s alliances with the United States. Kim Jong-un’s more assertive posture towards Russia, illustrated by the recent replacement of the Chinese satellite with a Russian one, could be seen as an attempt to strengthen his ties with Moscow while influencing his relations with Beijing.
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