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An expert says that none of the soldiers or their families get the promised salaries.
The defector says that none of the soldiers or their families get the promised salaries.
What is happening?
Kim Jong-un is reportedly making a huge from North Korean soldiers deployed to fight in Russia’s war against Ukraine.
According to multiple reports, these troops are being sent to the front lines under false pretenses, while Kim pockets their $2,000 monthly salaries.
Soldiers promised support roles
North Korean Defector Hyun-Seung Lee revealed that many North Korean soldiers were told they’d serve in non-combat roles in Ukraine.
Instead, they were pushed into the battlefield. “Most of the soldiers were supposed to die in this battlefield,” he told the Daily Star.
Massive profits for Kim Jong-un
Speaking on The Guardian’s “Today in Focus” podcast, Hyun-Seung highlighted that none of the soldiers or their families receive the promised salaries.
“Kim Jong-un is making a huge amount of money,” he said, citing media reports of $2,000 monthly wages per soldier.
Stark pay gap in North Korea’s military
Hyun-Seung, who once served in the elite Storm Core unit, compared these salaries to his own time in the military: just 50 North Korean Won per month—barely enough for an ice cream.
Even generals earn as little as $1 monthly, mostly relying on rations.
Thousands injured, hundreds killed
Out of roughly 14,000 North Korean troops sent to the front lines, about 4,000 have been injured and around 600 have died, reports say.
Many believed they were heading to Russia for training or to engage South Korea, not to fight in Ukraine.
Historic ties between Pyongyang and Moscow
Expert Jean Lee explained that Russia and North Korea’s relationship dates back to the Soviet era.
With Putin now needing support, North Korea became unexpectedly valuable—both for manpower and Soviet-era ammunition stockpiles.
North Korea supplies more than just soldiers
According to Lee, North Korea is one of the few countries with leftover Soviet munitions—critical for Putin’s ongoing war.
This material support is one of the reasons the relationship has endured over recent years.
Putin gains propaganda edge
The use of foreign foot soldiers gives Putin strategic leverage.
“It probably saves him some bodies,” Lee said, “but also gives him a little bit of leverage in terms of selling this to the Russian people.”
Kim Jong-un exploits the alliance
Lee concluded that Kim is “milking” the relationship for all it’s worth.
“It has been very useful for a couple of years now,” she said, noting that North Korea’s support helps prolong the conflict while strengthening ties with the Kremlin.
Kim and Putin appear united in Beijing
Just days after meeting families of fallen soldiers, Kim was seen alongside Putin in Beijing at China’s World War II victory celebration.
Following a two-and-a-half-hour meeting, Putin invited Kim to visit Russia and praised North Korean troops fighting in Ukraine.
