Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Faces Security Council Scrutiny Over Military Aid to Russian Federation amid Reports of Troop Deaths
Following reports of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s troops killed in the Russian Federation’s war against Ukraine, the Security Council today examined growing military ties between Pyongyang and Moscow amid ongoing disputes over sanctions on the East Asian country.
Jonah Leff, Executive Director, Conflict Armament Research, whose organization documents and traces weapons used in conflicts, presented findings from the analysis of ballistic missiles recovered in Ukraine. The first of those missiles struck Kharkiv on 2 January 2024, he said, determining that it belonged to the Hwasong-11 family, manufactured in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in 2023. Three further missiles striking Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia were assessed to have been manufactured by the same country, he said, citing Council resolutions that prohibit United Nations Member States from procuring such materiel and Pyongyang from exporting it. The Panel of Experts assisting the UN sanctions regime on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, whose mandate has now expired, subsequently confirmed his team’s findings, he added.
His team documented remnants of four missiles recovered in July and August, which they also attributed to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, he said, adding that one indicated production in 2024. “This is the first public evidence of missiles having been produced in North Korea and then used in Ukraine within a matter of months, not years,” he stressed, adding that the presence of recently produced non-domestic components among those missile remnants illustrate Pyongyang’s “robust acquisition network” despite relevant UN sanctions. Any exports of ballistic missiles from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea after the imposition of UN embargoes in 2006 violate the sanctions regime, he said, adding that individuals and entities involved in the transfers of key components may also have committed sanctions violations. Despite two decades of sanctions, Pyongyang has demonstrated its ability to produce and supply ballistic missiles for use in the war against Ukraine within months, he said, adding that his team will continue to investigate and document weapon systems used in Ukraine and highlight any developments as they occur.
Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, reported that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has been actively working towards acquiring new military capabilities in line with its five-year military development plan unveiled in January 2021. In 2024, the country launched one intercontinental ballistic missile, four intermediate range ballistic missiles, multiple short-range ballistic missiles, and attempted to launch a military reconnaissance satellite, she said, also pointing to signs of its active pursuit of its nuclear programme.
In September, the country’s State media reported on an inspection of a “uranium enrichment base” by its leader, which corroborated earlier reports on the existence of a second, yet-to-be-declared uranium enrichment plant in Kangson, she continued. On 20 November, the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported that the Agency observed that the 5-megawatt reactor at Yongbyon was not operating between mid-August and mid-October, she said, adding that the organization’s experts assessed that the gap would have provided sufficient time to refuel the reactor and start its seventh operational cycle.
She went on to highlight the open display in November of weapons delivery systems at an exhibition in Pyongyang, including the latest solid-fuel “Hwasong-19” intercontinental ballistic missile, reiterating her call on that country to fully comply with its international obligations. While the UN cannot verify the reported increase in military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow through the transfer of ammunition and the deployment of troops, she echoed the Secretary-General's concern about such developments. Although the Council did not renew the mandate of the Panel of Experts, the sanctions regime on Pyongyang remains in place, she emphasized.
In the ensuing debate, Council members who requested the meeting — France, Japan, Malta, the Republic of Korea, Slovenia, the United Kingdom and the United States — echoed their concerns about the growing military cooperation between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the Russian Federation. They underscored that such engagement represents an escalation of Moscow’s illegal war against Ukraine, which now, consequently, poses not just a threat to the region but to international security.
The Russian Federation’s representative questioned the inclusion of unverified press statements in Ms. DiCarlo’s address and reiterated that the Panel of Experts visiting Kyiv did not include a single ballistic [missiles] expert. Meetings, such as today’s, aim to pin full responsibility of the deterioration of the security situation in the Korean Peninsula on Pyongyang, he said, stressing that such developments are due to “provocative acts” by Washington, D.C., and its allies, including the amassing of air and intelligence assets, as well as ground troops in the region. His country’s cooperation with its neighbour, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, is its sovereign right according to international law and does not pose a threat to regional States, he said, adding that the two countries will continue to develop their cooperation, with a view to forging a fair international system. Such cooperation will maintain stability in North-East Asia, he said.
The delegate of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea also denounced today’s “unlawful” meeting as an illustration of the United States’ abuse of the Council as a platform for propaganda. He said that Washington, D.C.’s military aid to Ukraine exceeding $60 billion and its permission to strike the interior of the Russian Federation have driven the crisis in Ukraine to “a more dangerous phase, giving rise to concerns for the outbreak of a new world war”. Also condemning Washington, D.C.’s annual staging of “aggressive, frantic war exercises” in the Korean Peninsula, he asserted that the relationship of his country with the Russian Federation is a positive contribution to international security “and can by no means be a subject of criticism”.
Countering that, Ukraine’s delegate called the direct involvement of troops from Pyongyang in Moscow’s war of aggression against his country “now a matter of fact”. Video footage from Ukrainian drones confirms the participation of soldiers from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in assaults on Ukrainian positions in the Kursk region, he said, observing that the troops had suffered noticeable losses, as they employed infantry tactics dating from the Second World War and lacked awareness of modern weaponry, including drones. Meanwhile, Pyongyang continues to supply Moscow with weapons and ammunition used against Ukraine, he said, citing the use last week of a missile from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Such arms transfers violate the UN arms embargo on Pyongyang, he said. Also drawing attention to the role played by loopholes in sanctions regimes, he called for decisive actions to strengthen such measures.
“Every single one of us must call out this recklessness,” urged the representative of the United States, Council President for December, speaking in her national capacity. She warned that Moscow will become more reluctant not only to criticize Pyongyang’s development of nuclear weapons, but also “further obstruct passage of sanctions or resolutions condemning North Korea’s destabilizing behaviour — as we have already seen”. “Each time we have reached out” Pyongyang has “responded with a clenched fist”, she pointed out, affirming that the United States would welcome further dialogue with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
The representative of France urged the Russian Federation to end its war of aggression on Ukraine and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to rekindle dialogue to achieve complete, irreversible and verifiable denuclearization. Slovenia’s representative added that “Russia must discontinue its illegal support to DPRK”. “We need to employ all diplomatic means to bring the DPRK back to the negotiating table,” she underscored, stressing that “there is no legitimate alternative to dialogue and diplomacy” — a point echoed by Guyana’s representative.
The United Kingdom’s representative also called upon Pyongyang to withdraw its forces from “the theatre of combat” and encouraged all countries with influence in Pyongyang to use it accordingly. Japan’s representative, warning that the advancement of Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile activities is an imminent threat to the entire globe, called on all UN Member States to uphold the non-proliferation regime, an appeal echoed by the representatives of Sierra Leone and Mozambique.
The Republic of Korea’s delegate warned that, given Pyongyang’s pattern of provocations, “we must expect further uncertainties looming over the horizon. “As Members of the Security Council, we should stand united to address North Korea’s unlawful WMD [weapons of mass destruction] program and remain prepared to deal with any possible provocations by the DPRK,” he added.
Drawing attention to the statement by the Russian Federation’s Minister for Foreign Affairs describing Pyongyang’s denuclearization as a “closed” issue, the representative of the European Union stressed: “The DPRK will never be accepted as a nuclear weapon State.” He urged Pyongyang to return to compliance with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and to sign and ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty without any preconditions or further delay. Addressing its deepening military ties with the Russian Federation, he urged third countries to cease all assistance to that country’s war of aggression.
Meanwhile, Malta’s representative voiced disappointment about the termination of the 1718 Panel of Experts, noting that “its absence greatly facilitates violations, with the results we are witnessing today.” That concern was echoed by the delegate of Switzerland, who expressed regret about the Russian Federation’s veto against the renewal of the Panel, which was investigating allegations of illegal arms transfers between Pyongyang and Moscow.
Ecuador’s delegate voiced regret about the deadlock in the 15-nation organ on the issue, stressing: “The silence of the Council sends out the wrong message to Pyongyang.” The lack of consistency and the absence of a unified message considering Pyongyang’s defiant behaviour affects the organ’s credibility, he added.
However, Algeria’s representative advocated for “a more comprehensive diplomatic approach” that addresses the underlying causes of tension on the Korean Peninsula. Sanctions, while part of the Council’s toolkit, should be implemented alongside meaningful diplomatic initiatives aimed at building confidence and promoting dialogue.
For his part, China’s delegate emphasized that the issues of Ukraine and the Korean Peninsula are “completely different in terms of origin and nature”, warning that linking them would only make both issues more complicated and difficult to resolve.
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