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South Korean intelligence said in its latest analysis that the agreement with Russia to provide its troops largely solves financial and food problems in the DPRK.
That is according to The Korea Herald, Ukrinform reports.
“The country’s [North Korea] financial and food crises are largely taken care of by Russian compensation for its contribution to the war effort,” the report says.
Rep. Wi Sung-lac, who was Seoul’s ambassador to Russia, said that entering the war against Ukraine is “not a bad deal at all” for North Korea.
The National Intelligence Service reported to the National Assembly last week that each North Korean soldier sent to fight for Russia would be paid a monthly wage of around $2,000. At least 10,000 North Korean soldiers are believed to be headed for Ukraine, translating to yearly revenue of well over $200 million, the lawmaker said.
In addition to troops, about 4,000 North Korean workers are currently in Russia, according to the NIS. Their average wage is thought to be about $800 a month.
Wi also said every year on average, North Korea produces around 4 million tonnes of grain such as rice, barley and wheat, according to its own announcement. But most of the country’s “rice production” is actually potatoes, with rice thought to make up less than a third of the total, he explained.
“The 4 million tons of grains that North Korea says it produces per year are actually about 1 million tons short of what it needs to feed the country. If Russia is offering 600,000 to 700,000 tons of rice, that is enough to cover more than half of what North Korea would need to meet the year’s demand,” he said.
The lawmaker added that Russia is buying artillery shells from North Korea, much of the food shortage was “probably relieved through the arms trade”. “By selling a few containers worth of artillery shells, Pyongyang can afford a lot more than hundreds of thousands of tons of rice,” he said.
The National Intelligence Service also reported to the National Assembly last week that Russia is also believed to be helping North Korea with advanced space technology, as Pyongyang seeks to launch another military reconnaissance satellite.
In addition, this deal will enable North Korea to fight alongside Russia in the event of a Korean Peninsula contingency.
“North Korea is on record as having fought for Russia. If there ever is a war on the Korean Peninsula, North Korea can now expect Russia to come and help,” Wi said.
As previously reported, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that as many as 8,000 North Korean troops are in Russia’s Kursk region and are expected to enter combat against Ukraine in the coming days.
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