1y ago

North Korean troops will become 'cannon fodder' if they aid Russia in Ukraine, Pentagon says

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1y ago

North Korean troops will become 'cannon fodder' if they aid Russia in Ukraine, Pentagon says

www.businessinsider.com /north-korea-troops-ukraine-aiding-russia-cannon-fodder-pentagon-2024-6

11 comments

The really shocking thing about this claim is that it means North Korea isn't really afraid of defectors anymore. I guess since a huge chunk of defectors end up returning to North Korea anyway?
- end up returning to North Korea anyway?
  Not if they go to South Korea; they literally won't be allowed to leave. DPRK defectors/hostages aren't given a passport off the bat; only when the puppet regime is convinced of their loyalty are they allowed to exit South Korea apparently.
  I think this was the documentary that mentioned it: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3V4Hnl7J9H4
- Or maybe they have an agreement to receive intel from Russia on the whereabouts of any problematic defectors/assistance dealing with them. I imagine the threat to loved ones back home is a huge deterrent for most would be defectors, though some are obviously desperate enough to overcome that and defect anyway.
  
  Do you not understand how North Korean defection usually works?
  North Korea doesn't care, because they know that a vast quantity go back and can be used as propaganda.
They know the US mercenaries and 45 year old conscripts they've been loosening the rules to allow are rocket food in their first major engagement with an opponent that isn't farmers in flip flops.
And they know cannon fodder when they see it, they used everyone in Ukraine as that!
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said on Tuesday that "I think that if I were North Korean military personnel management, I would be questioning my choices on sending my forces to be cannon fodder in an illegal war against Ukraine."
Ryder was responding to a question about North Korea potentially dispatching army engineering units to Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, which is occupied by Russia.
Earlier this month, Russia and North Korea signed a pact agreeing to give each other military assistance if the other is attacked.
Countries including the US and Japan condemned the move, with South Korea saying it was considering sending weapons to Ukraine as a result.
Ryder described North Korea potentially sending military forces to Russia as "certainly something to keep an eye on," and hinted at the high number of Russian casualties throughout the war.
A Russian soldier who plans offensives said this month that he has to send men forward knowing they will likely die, but doesn't tell them how low their chances of survival are.
The original article contains 341 words, the summary contains 173 words. Saved 49%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!
Oh look projection again.
Or it is direct and specific threat from US military?
I suspect Kim is more focused on the political implications than the lives of the people involved.
Not everyone pretends to care about their troop's lives like some do.
- He also needs to build a corps of combat veterans to boost his conventional army's credibility.

11 comments