It is hard to blame North Koreans for joining the war effort alongside Russia, considering the conditions of life in the Hermit Kingdom. Reports are circulating that many of the men are ill-prepared and malnourished. There is a high probability that enlisting was not optional. Putin has also provided North Korean soldiers with an offer that is too good to refuse.
Compiling data from the hermit kingdom is quite difficult. Estimates believe the average person earned a monthly salary between 5,000 and 10,000 North Korean won (NPW) per month, which translates to $1 to $3 USD. Army officers in North Korea earn about 120 to 150 on monthly. Yet, those fighting in Russia will receive a monthly wage of around $2,000 USD, with non-combat roles earning around $800 USD, according to the National Assembly intelligence committee and NIS.
North Korea’s government-controlled food production has long failed, and the people have been facing a long famine. Russia has agreed to supplement the nation’s grain needs. North Korea produces 4 million tons of grain annually, falling 1 million tons short of what is required to feed its population adequately. Russia has offered North Korea up to 700,000 tons of rice to help meet demand. Pyongyang is able to afford hundreds, if not thousands, of additional tons of rice through arms deals.
The INSS is blaming the prospect of a Trump victory for North Korea’s participation, but the bribery presented to the troops goes far deeper.
“The US under Trump could pull out of Ukraine, which would undermine one of the main pillars of the new Cold War-like structure that Pyongyang has worked hard to build in recent years in its close cooperation with Moscow,” the INSS said in the report. “Given the uncertain prospects of war after the US election, Pyongyang quickly moved to bind Moscow to its foreign strategy in advance.”
Untold fortunes and the ability to feed your village. These men fighting alongside Russian troops were in a desperate position. What’s worse is that there are rumors that they will not be allowed back in North Korea after the war. They’ve already been exposed to life outside the kingdom and would tell their peers the truth – they’re living in poverty under a ruthless dictator.
