【Military Side】 Author: Lele

Amid the visit of Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov to North Korea and his praise for the military achievements of North Korea in Kursk, CNN also claimed a few days earlier that "North Korea will increase its troop numbers by 25,000 to 30,000 to Russia." In this context, the American website "Military Watch" further revealed cooperation between the two sides in the field of logistics support. The recent appearance of special forces units on the Sumy front has made the situation even more complicated.

▲The "Military Watch" website believes that the supply of North Korean artillery shells is crucial

In August 2024, after Ukraine launched an offensive into Kursk, Russia was caught off guard and lost a lot of territory. After urgently mobilizing reserve troops and stabilizing the frontline, the plan to transfer troops from the front was rejected. Instead, it was decided to invoke the agreement with North Korea and request additional troops. According to South Korean National Intelligence Service, on August 13, the first half of a brigade, about 1,500 people, embarked on a ship and received several months of training from Russia. Subsequent reinforcements continued to arrive, and by the end of December, when they joined the Russian offensive, there were approximately 12,000 people, mostly from the 11th Corps, known as the "Storm Corps," a special forces unit.

▲North Korean troops initially all wore Russian uniforms

When South Korea received definite information in October, former President Yoon Suk-yeol convened an emergency meeting to discuss countermeasures, preparing to "take all measures to resolve" the issue, but before the plan could be implemented, internal unrest erupted in South Korea, leading to nothing being done. When the Kursk campaign came to an end, the involvement of North Korean troops in the war was exposed, and Russia also released its evaluation of the "Storm Corps" — excellent physical fitness, high tactical skills, strong morale, and a strong desire to win. They initially lacked awareness of drones, electronic warfare systems, and guided weapons, but they had strong learning abilities and were good at summarizing, and by later stages, they had basically mastered advanced tactics. With some of the "Storm Corps" units that had been tested in combat returning home, and Russian-provided drone production technology being implemented, South Korea's anxiety reached its peak.

▲Russia's drone combat capabilities have indeed been increasing day by day

For decades, the confrontation between North and South Korea has mainly revolved around large-caliber artillery, air and sea weapons, etc. When North Korea, leveraging its gains from the Russia-Ukraine war, formed an attack force capable of operating hundreds of kilometers away, using more flexible drones, and South Korea suffered severe lack of experience in dealing with them, the consequences can be imagined. Therefore, after the June general election in South Korea, when the situation gradually returned to normal, "cooperating with the international community to respond (to sending troops to Ukraine)" became inevitable. However, previously, South Korea had overly strict restrictions on the participation of its citizens in the war, even resulting in extreme cases such as retired naval captain Lee Geun who擅自 joined the war and was imprisoned for violating the Passport Act. Hence, South Korea's actions were relatively covert.

▲After the new president took office, the South Korean government gradually resumed operations

According to Russian sources, in early July, organized South Korean mercenaries appeared in the battle near the Sumy border. Their combat skills were outstanding, and their equipment was very well-equipped, performing excellently when cooperating with the Ukrainian 13th Reconnaissance Battalion to attack Russian positions. Later, the Russians learned from captured Ukrainian soldiers that over 70 South Korean mercenaries had participated in the battle in Sumy, and there were larger-scale forces receiving training in the rear training camps. In other words, in order to gain the most top-tier combat experience to counter North Korea, South Korea also sent elite special forces into the Ukrainian battlefield. Considering that North Korea has just increased its troop numbers by 6,000 to Kursk, it is only a matter of time before the two sides meet.

▲South Korean special forces have often gone abroad for training before

Additionally, the scale of logistical support provided by North Korea to Russia is astonishing. According to the "Military Watch" website, North Korea supplied over 12 million 122/152 mm artillery shells alone. Since Russia's military industry capacity is still hindered, North Korean artillery shells have become the main supply source for many Russian artillery units. Moreover, the large-caliber special guns of 170 mm provided by North Korea are of great value for the Russian army, which faces intense artillery consumption and increasingly higher range requirements. In comparison, although South Korea also provided tens of thousands of 155 mm artillery shells to the United States according to the agreement, indirectly supporting Ukraine, the scale and intensity are much less.

▲Previous aid to Ukraine has nearly depleted the U.S. Army's stock of 155 mm artillery shells

As a "living fossil" of the Cold War, the confrontation between North and South Korea has lasted for decades. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, South Korea unquestionably held the advantage. Now, North Korea has seized the opportunity of the Russia-Ukraine war to gain the long-sought high-level combat experience and extensive assistance from Russia. South Korea cannot accept losing its advantage, so it can only fight against North Korea on the Ukrainian battlefield. This is just the beginning.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7526799524023566882/

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