Members of North Korea's special operations force are shown demonstrating martial arts in this photo released by North Korea's state news agency on Oct. 4. Yonhap
North Korean defectors in South Korea, who closely follow reports of the North's soldiers joining Russian forces in Ukraine, have raised doubts about their combat readiness.
In media reports, some of the dispatched North Koreans are portrayed as elite soldiers affiliated with the 11th Army Corps, commonly referred to as the "Storm Corps." This unit is comparable to South Korea's special forces, known as the "Black Berets" due to their distinctive headgear.
Kim Young-hee, a North Korean escapee who earned her doctoral degree in North Korean Studies in the South, said the soldiers featured in news articles or on television do not resemble those from the Storm Corps.
"I wonder if they are really special forces,” she said, noting that the soldiers appeared pale and relatively short, which she believes does not align with the image of elite operatives. "They were quite different from the Storm Corps members that I know. The special forces are physically fit and athletic, as they are well-fed and receive specialized training. However, the soldiers I saw on TV looked malnourished, resembling ordinary soldiers I encountered in rural areas of North Korea."
Kim is not the only North Korean defector expressing skepticism about the North Korean troops in Russia.
Kang Cheol-hwan, a North Korean defector and journalist who operates two YouTube news channels, cited accounts from informants in the North, asserting that the North Korean soldiers sent to Russia do not match the media's portrayal of them as elite army members.
He claimed that the troop deployment to Russia is merely part of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's ruthless business strategy aimed at profiting from the war, emphasizing that Kim is primarily focused on how much money he can generate.
“North Korean troops sent to Russia are not elite army members,” Kang said. “Kim Jong-un would benefit more from dispatching inexperienced soldiers to the front lines, as they will likely become cannon fodder. The more North Koreans die on the battlefield, the more money he stands to gain from Russia.”
Kang noted that Kim understands the value of specially trained forces better than any other dictator.
“Kim once remarked that one elite soldier is equivalent to 100 average soldiers in terms of military capability. He emphasized that their role is crucial in times of war. Kim is aware that the roughly 200,000 members of North Korea's special forces are a key military asset he can rely on. Therefore, he would never want to trade them away. If North Korea were to send elite troops to Russia, he knows his country would face dire consequences in the event of a contingency.”
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, center, salutes as he walks past cheering special forces soldiers during a visit on Oct. 2. It was Kim's second visit to North Korea's special operations forces since September. Yonhap
During his visits to the Storm Corps on Sept. 11 and Oct. 2,Kim expressed his expectations for them.
“Our military should be fully prepared at all times under any circumstances. In the event of war, we must be capable of annihilating the enemy mercilessly in no time,” he stated.
In front of him, the tanned, athletic soldiers displayed their skills, executing kicks, strikes, and various combat techniques. Some even broke bricks with their hands to emphasize their bravery. Kim smiled approvingly, clearly satisfied with their demonstration of strength.
When asked whether ordinary people can recognize specially trained soldiers, such as those from the Storm Corps, a retired colonel who had conducted covert operations for North Korean intelligence asserted that they could, if observers are perceptive.
“If you're looking at a photo of several men who are actually undercover military agents having undergone years of specialized training, you might sense something distinctive about them, even if they're not in uniform,” he explained, requesting anonymity. “It could be their appearance, or perhaps just an instinctive feeling you get. Regardless, you would know they are not ordinary people.”
The war in Ukraine has turned into a lucrative business opportunity for Kim Jong-un since North Korea and Russia signed a military pact that began with arms and artillery supplies and later expanded to troop deployments. The North Korean regime is infamous for its exploitative remittance policies.
Soldiers who appear to be from North Korea are captured in this footage shared by Russian media ASTRA in its Telegram channel on Oct. 22. The South Korean government said the North Korean soldiers are young and inexperienced, characterizing their deployment to the war in Ukraine as a move to use them as cannon fodder. Yonhap
North Korea dispatched approximately 10,000 troops to Russia, with thousands having arrived in the Kursk region, which borders Ukraine. These soldiers are reportedly preparing for an imminent attack on Ukraine.
The National Intelligence Service (NIS) estimates that North Korean soldiers receive around $2,000 each from Russia. However, their actual net income is only about $200 — 10 percent of their salary — since 90 percent is remitted directly to the North Korean regime.
Soldiers are not the only North Koreans in Russia.
There are also civilians who are compelled to send a substantial portion of their earnings back home. Currently, nearly 4,000 North Korean guest workers are employed in Russia, with some working in the timber industry. According to the NIS, the average monthly salary of these workers is around $800. Similar to the soldiers, they face an exploitative income distribution ratio of 9:1 with their government. They receive only $80 each month, while the remaining $720 is sent directly to the regime. The combined remittances from North Korean soldiers and guest workers in Russia contribute to nearly 1 percent of North Korea's GDP.
In Russia, North Korean soldiers and workers risk their lives to earn hard currency amid the prolonged war, only to discover that they are little more than wartime slave laborers. The vast majority of their earnings are funneled into financing Kim Jong-un and his family's luxurious lifestyle.
Although wartime troop dispatch can be lucrative, it poses significant risks for countries like North Korea. While the potential for substantial financial gain and combat experience are appealing benefits, sending troops abroad differs fundamentally from the guest worker program. Troop dispatch creates a significant security vacuum, especially if North Korea deploys elite soldiers, such as the specially trained members of the Storm Corps.
This inherently risky nature of troop dispatch has sparked a debate about whether the North Koreans involved are really special operations forces.
Lee Woong-gil, who served in the North's military as a member of Storm Corps before he defected to the South in 2007, said he believes the North Korean troops in Russia are special forces.
“They do not appear to be the finest members, however,” he said.
The North Korean defector dismissed concerns about a security vacuum. “Kim Jong-un understands that South Korea will not invade the North,” the defector said.
Lee acknowledged the risks associated with troop dispatch but highlighted the potential benefits, saying, “These soldiers will gain combat experience and, if they return home alive, will be transformed into ‘human murder weapons.'”
He said the North Korean leader would have determined that the benefits of troop dispatch far outweigh any potential losses.
Members of the Storm Corps unit are assigned a range of missions, including infiltrating deep into enemy territory during wartime, destroying critical infrastructure, targeting high-profile individuals, and inciting insurgents.
“Among them, the elite forces are deployed overseas on highly dangerous missions, such as the kidnapping and assassination of North Korean defectors, missionaries, and covert South Korean agents,” Lee said. “However, the troops sent to Russia do not seem to be Tier 1 team members.”
Citing a government source, TV Chosun reported on Monday that elite army members make up only 10 percent of the North Korean troops. The remaining 90 percent are young and inexperienced soldiers, raising concerns that they may meet their fate on the battlefield as cannon fodder.
Soldiers of North Korea's special operations forces break layers of bricks placed over the face of a comrade during North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's visit to the unit on Oct. 2. Yonhap