TOKYO – North Korea has formed a de facto military alliance with Russia, which continues its aggression against Ukraine, and sent troops to support Moscow in the war.

Russia and Ukraine are engaging in warfare using high-technology weapons such as drones, and North Korea’s participation in the war means that Pyongyang has been given a precious opportunity to gain practical combat experience.

Pyongyang’s participation in the conflict also signals that the war in Europe is starting to affect the situation in East Asia, making the Japanese government wary of the possibility of the reclusive country beefing up its military capabilities.

“The military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, including the dispatch of North Korean troops in the war, is expected to cause the situation in Ukraine to deteriorate even further, and we should be seriously concerned over the matter in light of the impact on the security environment surrounding our country,” Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told a press conference Friday.

At a meeting in Pyongyang in June 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement calling for mutual support in the event of an emergency.

The pact led to the dispatch of troops by North Korea, whose military assistance to Russia had been limited to the supplies of equipment such as ballistic missiles and artillery shells.

North Korea has sent more than 10,000 troops to support Russia in the Ukraine war, according to the United States and South Korea.

Last December, North Korean military personnel joined fighting in Kursk, western Russia, marking Pyongyang’s first full-scale participation in modern war since the Korean War, for which an armistice was signed in 1953.

The Japanese Self-Defense Forces is highly evaluated in joint military exercises with U.S. forces. But security experts say the SDF’s biggest weakness is its lack of practical combat experience.

Participation in actual warfare is believed to be the most important factor in maintaining and improving military discipline and proficiency as well as advancing tactics.

Although there are views that many North Korean troops died in the Ukraine conflict as they were forced to wage a war of attrition, a senior official of the Japanese Foreign Ministry said that the war is “a valuable opportunity for North Korea toward considering a possible future invasion of South Korea.”

“It is significant for North Korea to gain experience of anti-drone warfare,” a senior Japanese Defense Ministry official said, adding, “The country is expected to make full use of drones in the future.”

In return for its cooperation with Russia, North Korea is believed to be receiving technologies for weapons and military equipment such as ballistic missiles and submarines from Moscow.

In dealing with North Korea, which is accelerating nuclear and missile development, Japan plans to thoroughly strengthen its defenses, including the development of counterattack capabilities.

It also aims to improve deterrence and response capabilities through cooperation with the United States and in a trilateral framework also including South Korea.

Japan is keeping a close watch on negotiations led by U.S. President Donald Trump on ceasefire in the Ukraine war because the U.S. leader is taking a conciliatory stance toward Russia.

Trump is also positive about holding a bilateral summit with North Korea, calling it a nuclear state.

Words and deeds by Trump could drastically change the security situation in East Asia, analysts said.

Asia News Network/The Japan News