North Koreaʼs economy is recovering thanks to arms shipments to Russia. This allowed leader Kim Jong Un to reject diplomacy and continue to threaten the US and South Korea.
South Koreaʼs central bank estimated that North Koreaʼs gross domestic product (GDP) would grow by 3.1% in 2023 compared to the previous year. This was the largest increase since 2016.
The growth of the economy is connected not only with the rapprochement of Pyongyang and Moscow, but also with the opening of borders that were closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Heavy and chemical industry showed the greatest growth over the past year in North Korea — 8.1% compared to the previous year.
However, the DPRK still has serious problems with the lack of food, medicine and other basic necessities. The UN calls North Korea one of the most impoverished countries in the world.
Union of Russia and North Korea
From August 2023 to January 2024, North Korea could transfer approximately 1.6 million artillery ammunition to Russia, according to data from The Washington Post. During this period, more than 74,000 metric tons of explosives arrived in the DPRK from Russia.
South Koreaʼs Defense Minister Shin Won-sik said that North Korea sent containers to Russia that can hold almost 5 million artillery shells, but Moscow needs more. Putinʼs first visit to Pyongyang in 24 years is connected with this. During the meeting with Kim Jong-un, they signed an agreement on strategic cooperation, which obliges each side to provide immediate military assistance to the other in the event of armed aggression against one of them.
In early July , North Korea sent an "elite military training delegation" to Russia. According to American and South Korean officials, Moscow may have sent undisclosed aid in response to Pyongyangʼs supply of weapons.
- Against the background of strengthening ties between Russia and the DPRK, Seoul stated that it "will not have any obstacles in helping Ukraine with lethal weapons" if Russia supplies the DPRK with high-precision weapons. Currently, Seoul does not officially provide military aid to Ukraine — only humanitarian aid, and helps financially.