North Korea’s Kim at crossroads after suffering casualties in Ukraine war – will his gambit pay off?

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks during the groundbreaking ceremony for the Kangdong County Hospital and General Service Center in Kangdong County, North Korea, February 6, 2025, in this photo released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency. KCNA via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. REUTERS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THIS IMAGE. NO THIRD PARTY SALES. SOUTH KOREA OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN SOUTH KOREA.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is believed to be preparing to deploy more troops in the coming weeks.

PHOTO: REUTERS

Wendy Teo

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SEOUL - Some four months after more than 10,000

North Korean troops were deployed

alongside Russian soldiers in the Ukraine war, only about half of them remain standing, raising questions about the viability of Pyongyang’s decision to commit boots on the ground.

Ukrainian military officials have put the casualties down to the North Korean soldiers’ lack of experience with modern warfare and lack of coordination with the Russian troops.

North Korea’s Kim at crossroads after suffering casualties in Ukraine war – will his gambit pay off?

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