North Korea's alliance with China and Russia | DW Documentary

The dictatorship of North Korea. For decades, it's been marked by economic crises, political isolation, and international sanctions. North Korea is in a permanent state of war. It's a war-footing state. In October 2024, North Korea started sending soldiers to support Russia in the war in Ukraine. Crane. Kim Jong-un defines himself as the commander-in-chief of a major military power. Power. Kim Jong-un displayed newfound confidence, acting with increasing self-assurance on the international stage. The Kim dynasty appeared to be redefining its role in the world. January 2025, the Ukrainian army defended its positions in the Russian region of Kursk. It's a little bit massive. Video footage showed the capture of an enemy soldier who appeared to be confused. For the first time in the country's history, North Korea sent troops abroad. Ukrainian intelligence has reported about 15,000 soldiers from Pyongyang fighting alongside Russian forces. I was born in the Soviet Union in 1963 and studied in North Korea in the 1980s. I've been conducting research on this country ever since. It took place in spring 2018. If you look at Russian news, From Russia's perspective, North Korean soldiers are cheaper than Russian soldiers or mercenaries. I'm Han Anton Podassamnida. They represent both a cost-effective and politically uncontroversial military force. It can be said to be an excuse. North Korean troops have been fighting on European soil thousands of kilometers from home. Early on, these young soldiers suffered heavy losses, as they were ill-prepared for modern drone warfare. But the North Korean regime soon sent better-trained units. Soldiers gain valuable military experience fighting in these modern wars. I think it's a very important place for the Muslims. Currently, there are only three countries in the world that have this experience. Russia, Ukraine, and more recently, North Korea. Korea For North Korean state television, military operations became a source of national pride and propaganda. Kursk Liberation Operation In this fierce battle... During the Battle of Kursk, our soldiers demonstrated extraordinary fighting spirit and heroism. I'm starting to speak now. The North Korean People's Army. I think the North Korean army will use the lessons learned from the war in Ukraine to adapt its own strategy, tactics, and training. I think it's a perfect place. The great comrade Kim Jong-un visited the families of soldiers who lost their lives in foreign military operations. He offered them comfort and posed with them for a commemorative photo. These heroes have been awarded the Order of the Golden Star of the Fatherland. Thank you for watching. They will forever be a shining memory for our nation. I'm Thousands of North Koreans, many very young, have died starting in risky missions on the front lines in Ukraine. to It's clear the North Korean dictator has speak been willing to pay a high price to develop the North Korean military. now. The government went to great lengths to properly commemorate these sacrifices, staging grand state ceremonies for the fallen and their bereaved families. I spent many years with the CIA, and then I moved to the Intelligence Bureau. I was lucky enough to fall into a period of negotiations with North Korea. They're going to build monuments to these soldiers who were killed in action. I'm sure the cemetery will be a place of public grief. What's the point? The point is to get the North Korean public used to the idea that sacrifice is again going to be necessary. Four months before North Korea entered the war against Ukraine, Kim Jong-un invited Vladimir Putin to Pyongyang, a first. A visit by a foreign head of state is a rarity. Korea is one of the few countries Putin can still travel to safely since an international arrest warrant was issued against him. The heads of state, both internationally isolated, conducted a nighttime summit. Putin appeared to be actively seeking North Korea's support. A risky undertaking, given the country's old but often strained ties. Since the Soviet era, and especially since the 1960s, Russia's view of North Korea has been largely negative. There were a lot of preservatives. Had Russia not had such an urgent need for North Korean weapons, Tsuyoga Sengichi Ana Moscow and Pyongyang probably would not have grown so close. 가까워지지못했을것입니다. Kim Jong-un, striving for international recognition, pulled out all the stops for his visitor. All buildings in the capital were lit up, despite the country's chronic power shortages. Pictures of Putin were everywhere and there were public displays of joy over his visit, even though the Russian president has paid little attention to the country. Putin's sense of pride in his status has been dented. He used to not even acknowledge North Korea. The fact that things have come to this is because Russia is so isolated internationally. Ukraine still has a few countries willing to help them, but Russia has almost none. Apart from Belarus, there's almost no one left. So Russia and North Korea face a similar situation. They simply must cooperate. Moscow and Pyongyang signed a strategic partnership treaty. It committed both countries to provide the other with military support in the event of an attack. I would like to say thank you to all the people who have supported us. A new framework document was drawn up today. It is intended to serve as the basis for our relations in the future. It's a long-term prospect. In my whole life, I've been... The situation is complex and constantly changing. We reaffirm that we will intensify our strategic communication with the Russian leadership. At the same time, we will continue to unconditionally support all of Russia's political measures. Just a few months after the signing, Kim Jong-un sent North Korean soldiers to support Russian forces in the war against Ukraine. In May 2025, he visited the Russian embassy in Pyongyang. His message, the assistance pact signed the year before, applied to both sides. We have ordered our combat units to join forces with the Russian armed forces to destroy the occupiers of Ukraine and liberate the Kursk region. If the Ukrainian puppets are not prevented from carrying out their provocations on the territory of a nuclear power, they will undoubtedly become even more reckless. And that could, as a result, also spread to the army in Seoul, a lackey of the U.S. If South Korea or the U.S. were to launch a military attack on North Korea, this agreement would create the conditions for Russia to intervene. The warming between Moscow and Pyongyang marked the beginning of a new phase in their relations. But the two sides have their own goals. For Russia, it's primarily about support in the war in Ukraine. Kim Jong-un, on the other hand, is likely banking on long-term political, economic, and military advantages. I worked for the U.S. government for 19 years. I worked as a North Korea collection expert, looking at all things as an intelligence analyst. There's not a time where we talk about the war in Ukraine and North Korea doesn't show up somewhere in the article. Breaking news now. Ukrainian President Zelensky is accusing North Korea of sending soldiers to support the Russian army. Army. North Korea is sending troops to fight with Russia in Ukraine. His special forces say the soldiers from Pyongyang are using brutal near suicidal tactics on the battlefield. Every single day, we hear something about North Korea's role in the war in Ukraine. And that is victory for Kim Jong-un. He sees Russia as another avenue for maybe some economic benefits, maybe some trade benefits, you know, using Russia, not only as extra cover on the U.S. Security Council, but also, you know, through Russia. Diversifying its trade partners. It's not just about Russia, right? It's about the opportunities that Kim Jong-un sees because those are the, it's the perceived opportunities that will shape Kim Jong-un's thinking and actions going forward. Even as it employed new strategies, North Korea continued to uphold its traditions, like the large military parades held regularly at Kim Il-sung Square. The event marking the 90th anniversary of the North Korean Army in 2022 was especially lavish. With over a million soldiers on active duty thanks to mandatory military service lasting up to 10 years, the North Korean Army is considered one of the largest in the world. The country's military ambitions are based on projecting strength and pursuing nuclear armament. The basic mission of nuclear power is... Our nuclear forces are primarily intended to prevent wars, however, should a situation arise, one we never wish to see, our nuclear forces will no longer be limited to the task Of preventing war. Traditionally, North Korea had portrayed its nuclear weapons as a defensive means of deterrence. However, since the amendment to its nuclear law in 2002, the possibility of a preemptive strike has also been enshrined in law. The law applies when the leadership perceives a threat to national security and the political system. In other words, North Korea now reserves the right to use nuclear weapons preemptively as well. North Korea's military parades are meant to send a clear message to its adversaries and are studied closely by Western intelligence agencies. Kim Jong-un places great importance on the flawless presentation of his latest weapons. This is the Hwasong-8 hypersonic missile, which can reach South Korea or Japan. Its successor is the Hwasong-17, an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of striking the U.S. mainland. We will continue to strengthen and expand our nuclear forces as quickly as possible. I will continue to destroy it. National Security Service of Cheongwadae, National Security Service. I am an advisor to the Office of the President for National Security in South Korea. Kim Jong Un Kim Jong-un sees himself as the commander-in-chief of a major military power. Thank you very much. He often stays up till the early hours of the morning browsing foreign military websites such as those found in Russia. His greatest dream is to turn his country into a military power that neither South Korea, the US, nor China can match. We must remain strong. Any power that opposes the Democratic People's Republic of Korea will be destroyed. Kim Jong-un's pursuit of nuclear weapons can be traced back to his grandfather, Kim Il-sung, the ruler of North Korea installed by Stalin after World War II. After the war, Korea was divided along the 38th parallel. The North came under Soviet control and the South under American control. In the North, Kim Il-sung established an authoritarian regime based on an ideological system. Influenced by the Soviet model, he developed a national state doctrine aimed at complete self-sufficiency, known as Juche. It saw military strength as the primary means of securing the regime. That approach appeared to work until the 1980s, with support from Russia and China strengthening North Korea's position on the international stage. Yasser Arafat, François Mitterrand, Hafez al-Assad and Fidel Castro were among the heads of state to visit Kim Il-sung. The Pyongyang subway was inaugurated even before the one in Seoul. Kim Il-sung laid the foundation for North Korea's nuclear program in the 1950s. North Korean engineers built the first reactors and research facilities with Soviet assistance. Over the following decades, these efforts evolved into one of the most controversial nuclear programs in the world. International actors repeatedly underestimated the scale and speed with which North Korea was advancing its nuclear technology. I served in the military for 35 years, including as deputy chief of staff. In 1989, the world got its first glimpse of the nuclear facilities in Yongbyon via some French satellite photos. Many were surprised by what they saw. This was right around the time the Eastern European states collapsed. Some believed back then that North Korea might suffer the same fate as Eastern Europe, and that it would reunify peacefully with South Korea. The North Korean regime followed German reunification very closely. They witnessed how the East German demonstrators' initial chant, We are the people, It turned into, we are one, people. It means the demonstrators had realized that the best and easiest way to improve their own living conditions was through reunification with West Germany. Germany. And that is exactly what the rulers in Pyongyang feared. In Pyongyang, too. For North Korea, 1989 was a fateful year. Its leadership was alarmed by the pro-democracy movement in Beijing and the collapse of the Eastern Bloc. Kim Il-sung and his son, Kim Jong-il, followed the collapse of the Ceausescu regime in Romania and the fall of the Berlin Wall on CNN. The images of 1989 may still influence the Kim family's decisions to this day. Come there and scale the wall that scarred their city. The events in East Germany show how a popular uprising in a divided country can lead to internal conflicts. Such a scenario would pose a major threat to the North Korean regime then as now. If something like what happened in Germany were to occur in Korea, That is, if North Korea were dissolved and incorporated into the South, that would likely spell the end of the North Korean elite. So for them, there's only one way out. The regime must remain as it is. That's the only way they can survive. You can live well as you do today. In the early 1990s, North Korea was largely isolated diplomatically and economically. Its former Soviet allies had disappeared, and its economy was collapsing. Hundreds of thousands of North Koreans were dying of starvation. In its hour of need, North Korea turned to the U.S., hoping for aid and a way out of its isolation. In 1990, As early as 1990, Kim Il-sung declared the normalization of relations with the U.S. to be his top priority. At the same time, he said, the U.S. has the capability, the intention, and the will to carry out a nuclear first strike. That is why we must have our own autonomous nuclear force. Of course. North Korea was investing significant resources in its nuclear program. Despite surveillance by Western intelligence agencies, it continued to expand its Yongbyon nuclear complex. But the international community did not seem to take the threat from Pyongyang seriously. It is pointless for them to try to develop nuclear weapons, because if they ever use them, it would be the end of their country. The Clinton administration seriously considered bombing the main nuclear reactor in Yongbyon. But the conclusion it drew was that no, this is too risky. North Korea will most likely retaliate and will kill tens of thousands of South Koreans and also Americans, US troops stationed in South Korea. So I'm afraid North Korea has enjoyed this kind of immunity from a preemptive strike by the United States for decades. Many U.S. presidents have visited the demilitarized zone at the 38th parallel. The border between North and South Korea is one of the most heavily secured in the world. It has remained a military flashpoint since the armistice in the Korean War in 1953. During these visits, North Korean soldiers watched the American delegations from a distance, seemingly unimpressed. To them, the American rhetoric posed no major risk. No wonder I think they're evil. You get people who are convinced that North Korea is evil that we don't deal with evil that no matter what agreement we reach with them they'll break it so unfortunately it's easy to see how we fail it shouldn't have we shouldn't have failed. North Korea's nuclear program was already a topic of discussion within the international community as early as 1998. But the actual threat was not truly recognized until 2009, after the second nuclear test. So it took about 20 years for the threat to be recognized as real. This failure continues to have consequences to this day. North Korea conducted its first nuclear test in 2006. North Korea felt compelled to showcase its nuclear weapons as proof of its sovereignty and its protection against the constant threat from the U.S. Over the years, North Korea skillfully used its nuclear weapons stockpile in international negotiations. Time and again, the regime demanded aid to alleviate its economic hardship. In return, it offered the possibility of abandoning its nuclear program. It's an effective bargaining strategy without any downsides for the regime, which just continues to expand its arsenal anyway. We have engaged in off and on on and off nuclear negotiations with North Korea for more than 30 years. What has the United States and its allies gained? A nuclear North Korea with maybe 50, maybe 100 bombs and ICBMs. What has North Korea gained? Very conservatively speaking, over 20 billion US dollars worth of aid, including cash. So at every round, with some exaggeration perhaps, but virtually in every round, North Korea has won. In April 2017, just a few months after his first inauguration, Donald Trump, the 45th President of the United States, sent a clear foreign policy signal. He welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping to a two-day summit at Mar-a-Lago, his private residence. Trump's plan was to persuade China to increase pressure on North Korea and enforce international sanctions more consistently. The talks focused on the threat posed by North Korea's nuclear and missile programs. Xi Jinping expressed openness to increasing pressure on North Korea and supported the implementation of UN sanctions. We've had a long discussion already, and so far I have gotten nothing, absolutely nothing. But we have developed a friendship, I can see that. And I think long term we're going to have a very, very great relationship and I look very much forward to it. There's this brief moment when China aligns with the United States and other countries through the UN Security Council to impose these multilateral sanctions. The mentioned proposals are feasible. We hope all parties will consider them and respond constructively. Thank you. The result of the voting is as follows. The draft resolution received 15 votes in favour. The draft resolution has been adopted unanimously as Resolution 2397. This resolution ratchets up the pressure on North Korea even further, building on our last resolution, which included the strongest sanctions ever imposed on them. And those multilateral sanctions for the first time really started to cut into North Korea's exports of coal and minerals and imports of oil and so on. And so that was a huge shock. Korea became increasingly isolated. Even its most important land routes to China across the Yalu and Tumen rivers came under pressure from tightened UN sanctions. For the most part, traffic at these crossings had long been unaffected. Following UN Resolution 2397, trade and the flow of goods became severely restricted. China began to strictly control imports and exports. Russia and China had partially turned away from North Korea, leaving it especially vulnerable to sanctions. In 2018, Pyongyang, by then internationally isolated, began seeking negotiations. Under the pressure of harsh international sanctions, Kim Jong-un agreed to a meeting with Donald Trump. The historic summit took place on June 12, 2018, in Singapore. You know, the way they say that you know if you're going to like somebody in the first five seconds. Well, I think that very quickly I'll know whether or not something good is going to happen. The heads of state did not come to an agreement, but appeared to be on good terms. Kim Jong-un looked to build rapport with Donald Trump. Trump seemed to be taken in by his charm offensive. Thank you very much. It's fantastic. We have a very good relationship. We were going to war. With North Korea, that was what was going to happen. And then we fell in love, okay? No, really. He wrote me beautiful letters, and they're great letters. We fell in love. But you know what? If you read the letters he wrote to Trump, which are dismissed as love letters, that's a big mistake. That's how Trump may have seen it. That's not how Kim wrote them. Those letters were written very carefully. And they were intended to say to the Americans, look, we can make progress, but I need to be able to show my people progress as well. So let's do this slowly, step by step, and let's figure out a way that we can both benefit, sort of. It's not what happened in Hanoi. Big, big disaster. The meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam, took place eight months after the Singapore summit. Despite the lively exchange of letters, the relationship appeared to have cooled significantly. I thought the first summit was a great success and I think this one hopefully will be equal or greater than the first and we've had a lot of progress and I think the biggest progress was our relationship is really a good one. I worked for a long time as a human rights activist to rescue North Korean refugees. Today, as a lawyer, I specialize in human rights for North Koreans. During the Hanoi summit, I heard great hope everywhere in North Korea. Many believed that after Kim's meeting with the U.S., the sanctions would end and a better life would begin. People had enormous expectations. The camera's rolling, didn't you need to get it right? If I'm not willing to do that, I won't be here right now. That's a good answer. The North Koreans thought they'd soon be eating rice with meat broth, that they'd live better lives and be able to travel to the South. They awaited Kim's return full of hope and effusively praised his efforts. But the result was a fiasco. Let's go. Basically, they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety, and we couldn't do that. They were willing to de-nuke a large portion of... the areas that we wanted, but we couldn't give up all of the sanctions for that. So we continue to work and we'll see, but we had to walk away from that particular suggestion. We had to walk away from that. We have proposed permanently closing all nuclear facilities including those for uranium enrichment. We cannot promise that such an opportunity will present itself again for the U.S. Things open up over time and if you don't seize them when they're open then they close Close up again and you go into another period where things look very bad. This is more than that. This is more than just, oh, we missed the horse on the merry-go-round, let's get the next one. No more horses on this merry-go-round. We're in a very different world, in a bad position, in a bad way. The U.S. no longer offering any prospects for North Korea. Kim Jong-un pivoted and forged a new alliance with Russia. In exchange for support in the war with Ukraine, Putin held out the prospect of closer military and technological cooperation. Meanwhile, Pyongyang is rearming and has released propaganda videos modeled after the American armed forces. It was an attempt by the regime to use its nuclear arsenal and new alliances to expand its influence on the international stage. The close cooperation between North Korea and Russia concerns both the nuclear program and conventional armed forces. This could pose a threat. Recently North Korea unveiled a 5,000-ton destroyer. There have also been setbacks, but with the help of Russian technology, North Korea can rapidly increase its military capabilities, especially in naval weapons. Russia will support North Korea's aspirations, especially where they also serve Russia's own interests. If, for example, North Korea were to possess a nuclear-powered submarine, that would also be a strategic advantage for Russia, because such a submarine could advance into the Pacific, all the way to the U.S. coast, and that could force the U.S. to shift its focus back towards Northeast Asia. This is a scenario from which both North Korea and Russia could benefit. It will help Russia. Kim Jong-un succeeded in breaking North Korea's isolation, new clout which was showcased on North Korean media. The revered comrade Kim Jong-un, General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and State Council Chairman of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, has arrived in Beijing, the capital of China. The North Korean leader's armored train arrived in Beijing in September 2025. China hosted a ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. President Xi Jinping invited 26 heads of state. We haven't seen each other in a long time. Six years. Kim Jong-un and Vladimir Putin were guests of honor at China's lavish military parade. The event allowed Xi Jinping to display his army's latest military hardware. From the stands, Kim Jong-un took it all in. Kim Jong-un is the best actor Kim Jong-un currently enjoys the most favorable international conditions since the beginning of his rule. He benefits from Russian technology to which he would otherwise have no access. He's also earning foreign currency by sending his North Korean troops to Ukraine. I would say he's currently in the best position he's been in since taking office. I think he's in the most favorable position after his ruling. The goal of his country is no longer to get good relations with the United States. The goal of his country has become to help defeat the United States in this what has become, in his view, a global struggle of the West against. Third world, underdeveloped world, maybe the communist world, I suppose. Among the guests in Beijing were the presidents of Belarus and Iran. Together, they formed a new axis of authoritarian powers that see themselves as a counterweight to the West, an axis in which North Korea's status is growing.