NK gains upper hand over Russia through 6,000 military worker deployment, experts say

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, right, meets with Russia's Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu in Pyongyang, Tuesday, in this photo released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency the next day. Yonhap

North Korea appears to be gaining the upper hand in its relationship with Russia, analysts said Wednesday, following reports that Pyongyang agreed to send 6,000 military engineers and mine removers to help rebuild a Russian region damaged in its war with Ukraine.

The agreement came during Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu's visit to Pyongyang on Tuesday — marking his third trip to North Korea in the past three months, following visits on March 21 and June 4.

The unusually frequent visits by Russia's top security official suggest a shift in the balance of power, with Moscow increasingly reliant on Pyongyang for wartime support.

During his meeting with Shoigu, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un agreed to dispatch 1,000 mine removers and 5,000 military engineers to Russia's western Kursk region to help restore infrastructure damaged in the war with Ukraine, according to Russian media reports.

"Shoigu’s repeated visits indicate a shift in the traditional power dynamic. It now appears that North Korea holds the upper hand in negotiations," Doo Jin-ho, director of the Eurasia Research Center, a Seoul-based think tank, told The Korea Times.

The latest deal came amid speculation that Kim may soon visit Moscow to mark the one-year anniversary of the two countries’ comprehensive strategic partnership signed on June 19, 2024.

However, experts say the trip could be delayed.

"The ongoing crisis in the Middle East make a high-profile summit between Kim and [Russian President Vladimir] Putin diplomatically awkward. Also, with North Korea's bargaining position stronger than before, Kim may not feel any urgency to visit Russia in person," Doo said.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un speaks during a meeting with Russia's Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu during the latter's visit to Pyongyang, Tuesday, in this photo released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency the next day. Yonhap

Lim Eul-chul, a North Korea expert at Kyungnam University, said the latest agreement may give Pyongyang a bigger say in what it can demand from Moscow.

"Repair personnel are desperately needed in Russia, which is facing a severe labor shortage due to the prolonged war," Lim said. "This large-scale deployment broadens the range and scale of concessions North Korea can request in return, although it remains unclear what exactly those might be."

An official at Seoul's Ministry of Unification said, "Russia's decision to reveal not just the troop deployment, but also its size, may suggest that North Korea pushed for the announcement to gain more leverage in future discussions."

The 6,000 military engineers and mine removers are expected to carry out reconstruction tasks, though some analysts in Seoul suggest they may also take on military-related roles, such as river-crossing operations in combat zones.

The planned deployment adds to estimates by South Korea’s National Intelligence Service that around 14,000 North Korean soldiers have already been sent to Russia since October 2024. Pyongyang and Moscow officially acknowledged the presence of these forces only in April, following months of silence.

In return for its support, North Korea is believed to be receiving both economic compensation and advanced military technology, including reconnaissance satellite systems and naval maintenance assistance.

South Korea's presidential office said Wednesday that it does not support the reported deployment of North Korean troops to Russia.

"It is an issue of concern. We do not support (the North’s troop deployment)," a senior official told reporters in Canada, where President Lee Jae Myung was attending the G7 Summit.

North Korean troops undergo firearms training led by Russian servicemen in Russia's Kursk region, April 28. TASS-Yonhap

The comments echoed a statement by Seoul's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued hours earlier, which expressed "serious concern over continued illegal cooperation between Russia and North Korea."

"The acceptance and employment of North Korean overseas workers constitutes a clear violation of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions," a ministry official said, calling for an immediate halt to such activities.

"Cooperation between Russia and North Korea must be conducted in full compliance with UNSC resolutions and international laws, and in a manner that does not threaten peace and security on the Korean Peninsula or around the world."

The U.S. State Department also expressed concerns.

"Russia’s continued use of North Korean workers and soldiers to support its military operations against Ukraine is deeply concerning," a State Department official was quoted as saying by Yonhap News Agency.