Kim Jong-un could face a “mutiny” from North Korea’s military if his soldiers have a torrid time in Ukraine, according to an expert.
On Monday, NATO General Secretary Mark Rutte confirmed that North Korean soldiers have been deployed to Kursk, the region of Russia seized by Ukraine earlier this year.
He said this marks “a significant escalation in the DPRK’s ongoing involvement in Russia’s illegal war” and “a dangerous expansion of Russia’s war.”
This comes after the US said that North Korea has deployed 3,000 troops to help Russia.
However, one expert believes that there is the risk of anger from within North Korea’s military if the operation “goes badly.”
Patrick Cronin, the Asia-Pacific security chair at Hudson Institute, a research organization based in Washington DC said that the deployment is “small enough that Kim Jong Un can contain the potential risk within North Korea from any attempt at a military mutiny should the operation go badly.”
Meanwhile, reports suggest that Russian soldiers are not happy about the North Korean deployment.
Ukrainian intelligence claims to have intercepted communications from Russian soldiers lamenting their new recruits.
In one message, A Russian soldier says: “What the f*** are we supposed to do with them?”
He added that the North Koreans “can’t be commanded like ours” and appear “inadequately trained.”
After the deployment of North Korean troops in Ukraine, President in Kyiv Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine is now forced to “fight North Korea in Europe.”
He said: “(Russia is) increasingly engaging North Korea as an ally, and any day now their soldiers may appear on the battlefield fighting against Ukraine.
“Ukraine will be forced to actually fight against North Korea in Europe.”
