Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy mentioned on Thursday that the actual fact North Korea has its boots on the bottom in briefly occupied elements of Ukraine is “step one to a World Struggle”, sparking a contemporary wave of fear and issues surrounding the nation’s army capability.

“That is now not nearly transferring weapons. It’s really about sending folks from North Korea to the occupying army forces,” he mentioned.

Zelenskyy’s announcement comes days after Ukrainian outlet The Kyiv Unbiased reported that North Korea has despatched 10,000 troopers to Russia in a bid to spice up its offensive on Ukraine.

Whereas the Kremlin dismissed these stories, the prospect of North Korean troops combating on Moscow’s facet within the coronary heart of Europe begs the query: how sturdy is Pyongyang’s military and might it afford to ship its forces to Ukraine?

The world’s fourth-largest military

North Korea possesses the world’s fourth-largest army, with almost 1.3 million energetic personnel representing roughly 5% of the overall inhabitants. A further 600,000 are believed to function reserve troopers.

North Korean chief Kim Jong-un has made defence spending a precedence, with Pyongyang stating in January that 15.9% of complete authorities expenditure for this yr would go to defence.

Though the state-run Korean Central Information Company (KCNA) didn’t present a selected determine, this estimate is just like those introduced in recent times.

In the meantime, unbiased estimates say that Pyongyang possible spent round 36.3% of its GDP on its army in 2023, making it the second-highest spender on this class worldwide.

Whereas the North Korean military has additionally been reported to make use of outdated expertise and combating tools, its management makes up for the distinction in tech by mobilising its troops in huge numbers, just like Moscow.

This remark was echoed by Pentagon’s press secretary, Main Patrick Ryder, who mentioned in June that Russia would use Pyongyang’s troopers as cannon fodder, very similar to its personal troops.

Nevertheless, for a lot of, North Korea’s advances within the fields of ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons are much more regarding.

How highly effective are Pyongyang’s nukes?

Ever since he took energy in 2011, Kim Jong-un has been accelerating the nation’s nuclear program. During the last 13 years, Kim has directed 4 nuclear checks: one in 2013, two in 2016, and one other in 2017.

He additionally ordered 160 missile checks, a determine which far exceeds the variety of trials performed underneath his father, Kim Yong-il, and grandfather, North Korea’s founder, Kim Il-sung. These missiles are believed to have the ability to attain the mainland within the US.

With every take a look at, North Korea’s nuclear explosions have grown in energy. The final nuclear take a look at carried out so far, in September 2017, was far considerably bigger than anticipated, which provides some weight to Pyongyang’s claims that it has the supplies to create a hydrogen bomb.

Nevertheless, North Korea has not performed any related checks since. In 2018, it claimed to have shut down its primary nuclear materials manufacturing website, the Yongbyon reactor complicated.

This adopted the nation’s summit with the US, with former US President Donald Trump travelling to Singapore to satisfy with Kim.

But, these claims had been in flip disputed by a report issued by the Worldwide Atomic Vitality Company’s (IAEA) in 2021, asserting that North Korea had as soon as once more began producing fissile materials at Yongbyon.

By mid-2022, satellite tv for pc imagery confirmed that development was progressing, with the IAEA expressing concern that North Korea was making ready for an additional nuclear take a look at.

In September, North Korea launched photos which provided a uncommon glimpse into the nation’s nuclear weapons programme. They provided an unprecedented perception into the centrifuges utilized by the nation to make bomb-grade uranium.

The pictures — thought to have been Kim’s energy transfer — triggered a contemporary wave of concern among the many West and the worldwide neighborhood.

“As these photos present, and past that, they’ve an enormous nuclear program, which is maybe the one one on this planet on which there is no such thing as a visibility by way of the observance of the fundamental worldwide nuclear security requirements,” Rafael Grossi, director-general of the Worldwide Atomic Vitality Company, mentioned in an interview with AP.

What about South Korea?

Tensions between North Korea and South Korea have additionally escalated within the final weeks following the discharge of the photographs.

Regardless of this, the 2 international locations have long-term tense and fiery relations. For example, in a dramatic transfer, North Korean media introduced that the nation would “shut down all contact” with South Korea in 2019.

This got here because the nation referred to as for Seoul to forestall activists from sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets throughout the border.

In early October, Kim Jong-un renewed hostilities, threatening to make use of nuclear weapons to destroy South Korea ought to an assault happen, state media reported.

In the meantime, Seoul has been escalating its weapons manufacturing in preparation for a possible assault.

Final yr, the nation’s Defence Ministry introduced plans to spend €223.78 billion within the subsequent 5 years to bolster its defence capabilities.