Forced to fight: How North Korea’s troop dispatch to Russia abuses human rights



Analysis Forced to fight: How North Korea’s troop dispatch to Russia abuses human rights Experts say 12K soldiers waging war against Ukraine are both violators and victims, acting under undefiable orders Ifang Bremer January 7, 2025 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON North Korean soldiers queueing for a fairground in Pyongyang \| Image: Eric Lafforgue (2012) For the last three months, Ukraine and its allies have been raising alarm about North Korea’s deployment of thousands of soldiers to fight for Russia, a once-unthinkable development that has come to exemplify the rapid expansion of the two countries’ bilateral ties. But behind the sweeping geopolitical and military implications of the DPRK’s support for Russia’s invasion lies a quieter tragedy: the plight of the young men forcibly sent to fight in a brutal war far from home. For the last three months, Ukraine and its allies have been raising alarm about North Korea’s deployment of thousands of soldiers to fight for Russia, a once-unthinkable development that has come to exemplify the rapid expansion of the two countries’ bilateral ties. But behind the sweeping geopolitical and military implications of the DPRK’s support for Russia’s invasion lies a quieter tragedy: the plight of the young men forcibly sent to fight in a brutal war far from home. Try unlimited access Only $1 for four weeks Unlimited access to all of NK News: reporting, investigations, analysis Year-one discount if you continue past $1 trial period The NK News Daily Update, an email newsletter to keep you in the loop Searchable archive of all content, photo galleries, special columns Contact NK News reporters with tips or requests for reporting Get unlimited access to all NK News content, including original reporting, investigations, and analyses by our team of DPRK experts. Subscribe now All major cards accepted. No commitments – you can cancel any time. © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. Get the Daily Update Start your day with the North Korea stories that matter most – as selected by And how should we address you in correspondence? One more step! Please check your inbox, for an email we just sent you, and click on the confirmation message in it to get subscribed to our Daily News Update. Trending

Analysis

Forced to fight: How North Korea’s troop dispatch to Russia abuses human rights

Experts say 12K soldiers waging war against Ukraine are both violators and victims, acting under undefiable orders

Ifang Bremer January 7, 2025

Forced to fight: How North Korea’s troop dispatch to Russia abuses human rights

North Korean soldiers queueing for a fairground in Pyongyang | Image: Eric Lafforgue (2012)

For the last three months, Ukraine and its allies have been raising alarm about North Korea’s deployment of thousands of soldiers to fight for Russia, a once-unthinkable development that has come to exemplify the rapid expansion of the two countries’ bilateral ties.

But behind the sweeping geopolitical and military implications of the DPRK’s support for Russia’s invasion lies a quieter tragedy: the plight of the young men forcibly sent to fight in a brutal war far from home.

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Forced to fight: How North Korea’s troop dispatch to Russia abuses human rights

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