Russia and North Korea Officially Acknowledge the Deployment of North Korean Troops and Its Impact

Key Chapter Title List

1. Summary
2. Background and Implications of Russia and North Korea's Official Acknowledgment of North Korean Troop Deployment
3. Justification as a Legitimate Act of a Normal State
4. Providing a Pretext for Kim Jong-un's Visit to Russia
5. North Korea Acquires "Co-Belligerent" Status
6. Strengthening Russia-North Korea Relations
7. Managing Domestic Public Opinion and Deifying Kim Jong-un

Document Introduction

In late April 2025, Russia and North Korea successively officially acknowledged that North Korean troops have been performing combat missions in Russia's war against Ukraine. This development marks the official confirmation of related rumors and intelligence allegations that had persisted for approximately six months. This briefing provides an in-depth analysis of the background, immediate motivations, and multiple strategic implications of this joint acknowledgment. The core of the report lies in analyzing why, after prolonged denial, Russia and North Korea chose this moment for official confirmation, and how this action is being strategically used by both sides to reshape narratives, consolidate their alliance, and serve their respective domestic and foreign policy objectives.

The report first outlines the timeline of events and official statements. On the Russian side, President Putin and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov publicly thanked North Korean soldiers on April 26 for their "active role" and "heroism" in the "liberation" of the Kursk border region. Two days later, North Korea confirmed this through a written statement from its Central Military Commission, stating that its actions were based on Article 4 of the "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty" signed in June 2024 and were a defensive response to Ukraine's "reckless invasion" of Russian territory. This move aims to frame the military deployment as a legitimate act under treaty obligations, attempting to establish a basis for justification under international law for its participation in an external conflict.

The analysis points out that the official acknowledgment by Russia and North Korea serves five interrelated strategic objectives. The first is "legitimizing narrative construction." North Korea strives to portray its military actions in Kursk (presented by Russia as its own territory) as a legitimate act of fulfilling alliance obligations, thereby avoiding accusations of "aggression" that might arise from direct participation in combat in other contested areas of Ukraine. The second is "paving the way for high-level interaction." Russia's declaration of Kursk's "complete liberation" and its gratitude to North Korea are seen as creating a political pretext for Kim Jong-un's potential visit to Russia to attend the 80th-anniversary commemoration of the WWII victory. This may even involve symbolic arrangements such as the participation of North Korean special forces in the parade or the accompaniment of Kim Jong-un's daughter.

The third is "acquiring co-belligerent status." The official acknowledgment legally positions North Korea as a "co-belligerent" in the war, whose personnel would be entitled to prisoner-of-war status under the Geneva Conventions rather than being considered mercenaries. This provides a legal basis for North Korea's potential future participation in Russia-Ukraine peace talks and claiming corresponding benefits. However, it also exposes its leadership to potential prosecution by the International Criminal Court for alleged complicity in war crimes. The fourth is "deepening the strategic partnership." The battlefield cooperation, referred to by Putin as a "friendship forged in battle," foreshadows the continued deepening of comprehensive cooperation between the two sides in military, diplomatic, economic, and technological fields after the war, including potential North Korean involvement in post-war reconstruction projects.

The fifth is "managing the domestic narrative and strengthening the personality cult." Faced with rumors that overseas troop deployment could cause large-scale casualties, North Korean authorities shifted from concealment to open propaganda. By broadcasting Putin's words of gratitude and planning to erect monuments to combat heroes in Pyongyang, they aim to portray participation in the war as an honorable act. This is intended to deify Kim Jong-un's decision-making, placate military families, and prevent potential domestic instability arising from sacrifices.

Based on textual analysis of official statements from sources such as the Russian Kremlin website and the Korean Central News Agency, as well as the integration of relevant intelligence information, this briefing provides a rigorous interim assessment for understanding the qualitative change in Russia-North Korea relations against the backdrop of the Ukraine war, the legitimacy contest surrounding North Korea's groundbreaking overseas military operations, and their profound implications for the security landscape of Northeast Asia.