North Korean troops willing to ‘fight and die’ for Russia alter Indo-Pacific security balance

The deployment of North Korean troops to back Russia’s war efforts marks a significant shift in global dynamics by bridging European and Indo-Pacific security theatres in unprecedented ways, observers warn.

US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin confirmed on Wednesday that 3,000 soldiers were sent to Russia – a development first disclosed by Ukraine and South Korea that analysts say could tilt the war in Moscow’s favour and infuse further unpredictability into the conflict which began in 2022.

The comments came as Pyongyang is also reportedly preparing to dispatch up to 100,000 personnel, including 10,000 elite troops, to Russia in a clear breach of international sanctions.

“North Korea’s move to send tens of thousands of labourers to Russia has been detected,” a senior government official said, adding that the number could eventually hit 100,000, according to SBS-TV.

Sydney Seiler, Korea Chair at the Centre for Strategies and International Studies (CSIS), said it did not really matter if these North Korean personnel were in logistics, construction or special forces, among other designations.

“Every North Korean soldier helping the war cause frees up a Russian for combat,” Seiler told This Week in Asia.