How Russia's Troubles in Kursk Brought North Korea into the War

North Korean troops are in Russia, apparently to assist in the broader war effort versus Ukraine. This video explores the mechanics behind why Russia would look east for help, the complications that come along with it, and the dilemma this poses for Ukraine.

0:00 North Korea's Intervention
1:06 Intervention Timing
2:39 The Kursk Offensive
10:31 Is Russia Weak?
11:38 Complications with Using North Korean Troops
14:30 The Risks to North Korea
15:57 Will North Korean Soldiers Comply with Orders?
17:33 Problems with Integrating North Korean Soldiers
18:36 What Should Ukraine Do?

The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.

[xyz]

I never thought the next Korean war would be fought in Europe.

[smith]

I bet "the ally who stopped famine forever is under attack and needs our help" is pretty effective propaganda.

[parkerdixon-word]

What I find interesting is that Moscow has gotten Pyongyang involved before Belarus- this says, at least to me, that Belarus is very reluctant to join the war, which seems good for Ukraine. The enemy reinforcements that fail to open up another front in the conflict are probably better than the ones who do.

[Mark-uhun]

Russia may not be the most developed country in the world, but an average North Korean going to even a medium sized city like Rostov or Volgograd will be astonished by technology and food abundance

[LarsDlw]

Now Russia only has the third strongest army in Russia😮

[zimti]

It must be heartbreaking for a North Korean prisoner of war to learn from a South Korean what Mukbang is

[davidnewman]

I’m a little surprised that you ignored the signaling and implications for China and globalization of the conflict in this analysis. It seems like this has created a new narrative logic and an opening to give political cover for increased economic support, intelligence exchange, and military cooperation. This war is a treasure trove of intelligence for inexperienced militaries around the world that might want to know how to fight against NATO/Russia in a lower stakes proxy war. This sets a bit of a dangerous precedent for spiraling globalized involvement if say Taiwan or Myanmar or India or Brazil or…Jamaica…Madagascar…whoever wants to get updated combat experience for their troops, all at the expense of the suffering of the people of Ukraine.

[injest]

This must be the first video I disagree with William. I think it is a lot less risky for North Korea to send troops than portrayed in this video. A North Korean could be paid a quarter as much as Russian soldiers and still earn many times more than they earn in North Korea, the incentives are huge. People know North Korea is poor, but forget just how poor. Their GDP per capita is less than 10% that of Russia, and less than 5% of South Korea.

[sndchamp]

Over 8 billion people in the world. But that guy spawns in as a NK soldier being sent to fight in Europe in 2024😢

[lbsi]

your fan from UAE 🇦🇪 you definitely deserve more followers as you provide very accurate unbiased analysis. Good Job 👏

[jimproctor]

“Yep, I waited twenty minutes before talking about why the second derivative matters.”
Best line by far!!!

[FoxtrotYouniform]

20:00 yeah, I'm not entirely certain that the DPRK is a state in which the 'rally around the flag effect' is likely to have much impact.

[stevenniccoli]

You presented some interesting ideas that I had not thought of. Thanks for the great video.

[Generalth]

Hi Dr. Spaniel!

The world will shudder when cost analyses are forced to include the dreaded *third derivative.*

[CarlFda]

I think this is still quite shallow in the analysis of North Korean and Russian relations. North Korea has had a huge debt to Russia since USSR. They have fought in colonial wars including Vietnam, and Angola. North Koreans fighting with Russians should not really come as any surprise to those who know about the history of the two countries. Even when I visited North Korea there were quite a few Russians there doing business and also tourists (when almost no other Westerners were present). I saw a train donated to by Stalin, and all the soviet leaders gave lavish gifts to the Kim dynasty there after. I was not surprised by this, but every other media seemed to be so surprised and calling it an act of desperation. There have been loads of North Koreans working in mines and logging in Siberia all pre-Ukraine war. I think they have deeper relations predating to USSR rather than a surprise desperate move in 2024. I am also very critical of North Korea, and Russia, but I do think most of the analysis in 2024 does not take into account 70 years of co-operation and mutual interests. This should not have been such a big surprise to Westerners (and the media) should they have actually picked up some historical background.

[MikeyMobes]

i love your analysis. Thanks for posting all this to youtube. I wish i took a class like this in college— i would have very much enjoyed it

[GojiMet]

Don't know you, William? They're not REALLY North Korean soldiers filling up the ranks. These are simply young, eager, ambitious, hungry-for-knowledge exchange students from Siberia who picked up Korean on the way west. Young men these days, am I right?
Honestly, it's funny to think Russia literally thought "Hmmm, people wouldn't be able to tell the difference between them and indigenous Yakut". Like, what happens when they start to actually speak and observers notice their speech is oddly similiar to South Korean?

[brendanmay]

Will to the reacue. Finally good info on NK motivations.

[internationalme]

Great video. So informative yet so easily watchable. Dense information moistened by witty humor, goes down so well.

[Mighty_Terp]

Smartest foreign policy content on the tube, hands down. Thank you so much for the graduate level courses you deliver to us and ROCK ON!!!!