Participation in the war with Ukraine has already brought the North Korean government at least $20 billion in revenue, writes Newsweek citing a report by the South Korean Institute for Defense Analysis (KIDA).
The mentioned revenues are astronomical for the North Korean economy. For comparison, according to analysts, in 2023, North Korea's GDP was about $23 billion. Thus, the war in Ukraine brought Pyongyang as much additional income as the entire North Korean economy generates in a whole year.
Most of the profit for North Korea came from supplying artillery ammunition to Russia, but the decision to send several thousand North Korean military personnel to the front and provide certain technical support to the Russians was also profitable.
According to the Open Source Centre (OSC), from September 2023 to March 2025, North Korea made 64 shipments (15,800 containers) of ammunition to Russia. In total, this could amount to 4–6 million shells. Supplies from North Korea could provide up to half of the ammunition Russia needs for the war against Ukraine. Additionally, about 11,000 North Korean soldiers are participating in the battles, of which 4,000 have already died.
For this assistance, North Korea receives from Russia "natural and technical assistance," including some high-tech weapons that help strengthen Pyongyang's military potential and advance its strategic goals. This, according to KIDA, not only increases the combat capability of the North Korean army but also raises the risk of Moscow's intervention in the event of a crisis on the Korean Peninsula.
Photo: AP