Even as signs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK or North Korea) gravitation toward Russia became unequivocally clear, the extent of that pivot, and whether Russia would find North Korea useful enough to reciprocate were uncertain at best. Yet, perhaps even more worrisome are the implications of the war itself for North Korea’s posturing—specifically, how the war shaped and gave impetus to Kim Jong Un’s shifting worldview and foreign policy. Impact on North Korea’s Foreign PolicyNorth Korea shifted to harder lines across all realms, including foreign policy, following the collapse of the second US-DPRK summit in Hanoi in February 2019. North Korea reportedly suffered from acute economic difficulties during the self-imposed lockdown during the global pandemic—something that North Korea, including Kim himself, acknowledged on multiple occasions. North Korea stands to benefit from its ties with Russia, at least for as long as the war in Ukraine persists.

Source: New York Times February 22, 2024 18:09 UTC