N. Korea gave $9.8 bil in weapons to Russia but received $1.2 bil. in Ukraine war deal: report

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, right, welcomes Russian President Vladimir Putin upon his arrival in Pyongyang, June 19, 2024. Courtesy of the North's Korean Central News Agency

North Korea has sent about $10 billion worth of weapons and troops to Russia under their deal to support Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, but Pyongyang has received comparatively limited compensation, according to a report Friday.

The report, commissioned by the Korea Office of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, said it showed signs of "unequal partnership" between North Korea and Russia although they have intensified their military cooperation.

The report said North Korea has provided weapons, ammunition and troops worth up to $9.8 billion, or more than one-third of the North's annual estimated economic output, since 2023.

In contrast, Russia's direct compensation to the North is estimated at a maximum of $1.2 billion, which includes mainly food and oil assistance, along with "a small number of air defense systems, GPS jammers and possibly fighter aircraft."

The report noted there is "no evidence" to support concerns that Russia has played a direct role in North Korea's technological modernization, saying the reclusive nation's economy also remains in a dire situation under this "unequal partnership."

The estimated value of military assistance between Russia and North Korea is roughly half the scale reported by the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses (KIDA), which earlier assessed that Russia's assistance could be worth as much as $20 billion.

Still, the report stressed that the rapid expansion of Pyongyang and Moscow's bilateral ties indicates a significantly higher likelihood of sustained cooperation even after the war in Ukraine ends.

For North Korea, Russia serves as both a vital source of advanced military technology needed to modernize its armed forces and as a strategic counterbalance to its growing dependence on China. Its close ties with Moscow also helps ease international isolation, as well as gain legitimacy and external recognition that only a few other countries are willing to offer, it added.