North Korea gains troop deployment experience from Russia's war in Ukraine, USFK chief says
U.S. Forces Korea commander Xavier Brunson said Pyongyang is learning long-range troop deployment, supply and mobilization through its support for Russia.
Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, speaks during a Korea-U.S. reciprocal repatriation ceremony for Korean War remains at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi, on June 5.
AP/YONHAP
North Korea is gaining experience in deploying troops and sustaining military operations over long distances through its involvement in Russia’s war against Ukraine, the commander of U.S. Forces Korea said Tuesday.
U.S. Gen. Xavier Brunson made the remarks during a dialogue hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, highlighting the military benefits Pyongyang has gained from deploying troops and supplying weapons to support Moscow in the war.
“They’ve learned how to go from North Korea to find themselves in Russia to move men, weapons and equipment there, as well to build supply lines that would allow them to support the Russian war effort,” Brunson said when asked about the experiences Pyongyang gained through its participation in the conflict.
Brunson stressed that North Korea’s military has gained experience in strategic movement, mobilization and logistics and has developed capabilities that extend beyond tactical lessons learned on the battlefield.
The commander warned that North Korea’s military is becoming increasingly capable of incorporating battlefield experience into its forces, which poses new challenges for South Korea and the United States in maintaining deterrence on the Korean Peninsula.
He also highlighted the military equipment North Korea has received from Russia in return for supporting its war effort, including electronic warfare jammers.
In June 2024, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty, under which North Korea has deployed troops and provided conventional weapons to support Russia’s war with Ukraine.
On the envisioned transfer of wartime operational control (Opcon) from Washington to Seoul, Brunson reiterated his support for a conditions-based transition, stressing the importance of meeting agreed military requirements before proceeding with the handover.
“I am in full support of Opcon transfer that is conditions based, full stop,” Brunson said.
“At the end of the day, if my president, if my secretary of war tell me, ‘Execute right now,’ I go, ‘Yes, but here are the risks inherent in doing this without having fully met the conditions, securing the critical capabilities that are necessary.’”
On South Korea’s defense industry, Brunson praised its advanced manufacturing capabilities and highlighted the potential for greater cooperation in maintaining and repairing U.S. military equipment in the region, rather than sending it back to the U.S. for maintenance.
“We could develop things in Korea that we would then apply across the region,” Brunson said, envisioning a regional maintenance, repair and overhaul hub that could leverage South Korean industrial capabilities to support U.S. military operations across the Indo-Pacific.
Yonhap
