Kathrine Frich
This trade volume marks a substantial financial gain for North Korea.
North Korea has supplied Russia with arms valued at an estimated $5.5 billion to support Moscow’s ongoing war in Ukraine, according to a report by the German-based Friedrich Naumann Foundation.
Up to $5.5 billion
This research, informed by South Korean intelligence and satellite imagery monitoring shipments, highlights North Korea’s significant contributions in the form of artillery shells and short-range missiles for the Russian military, according to sources like DPA and Hotnews
Olena Guseinova from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul conducted the analysis by reviewing intelligence reports, publicly leaked documents, and North Korea’s previous arms transaction prices.
She estimates that North Korea’s arms exports to Russia, initiated after the invasion began in February 2022, likely range between $1.7 billion and $5.5 billion.
Substantial Financial Gain
This trade volume marks a substantial financial gain for North Korea, a nation with an estimated GDP of $23.7 billion according to South Korea’s Central Bank. As a result, this arms trade with Russia represents approximately 25% of North Korea’s total economic output.
Frederic Spohr, head of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation’s South Korea branch, cautions that this military alliance exacerbates global instability, as North Korea and Russia are both leveraging the war to challenge international norms.
In the report, it’s suggested that North Korea’s economic relationship with Russia may deepen, potentially leading to further shipments or even the deployment of North Korean personnel to support Russian efforts in Ukraine.
With limited transparency in North Korea’s trade activities, accurate data on arms exports is hard to secure, leaving much of the country’s military support for Russia shrouded in secrecy.