The North Korean general for Putin's Ukraine war
Credits: Commentary by Fabian Kretschmer
Translated from: https://taz.de/Kommandant-eines-beruechtigten-Korps/!6046601/
The North Korean general for Putin's Ukraine war-8,000 North Korean soldiers are said to have already arrived in the Kursk region of Russia. They are led by General Kim Yong Bok.
8,000 North Korean soldiers are said to have already arrived in the Kursk region of Russia. They are led by General Kim Yong Bok.
Seoul taz | Whenever North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un inspects his troops, General Kim Yong Bok with his stoic facial features is not far away. In images from the Korean news agency KCNA, the uniformed man can be seen pulling out the notepad to write down words from his leader. Such staged photos leave no doubt: the three-star general is part of North Korea's innermost leadership circle.
Now he has been supervised by Kim Jong Un with his most important task to date: he is supposed to build up North Korea's troops in Russia, prepare them for use against Ukraine and get them into position.
Kim Yong Bok's personal life is unknown. One can only speculate about his age: in the photos taken by the state media, he looks as if he is well over 60.
North Korea experts first noticed Kim nine years ago when he gave a speech at a memorial rally for Kim Jong Il - the incumbent leader's late father. Shortly thereafter, he took command of the infamous 11th Army Corps, often called the “Storm Corps.” North Korea's soldiers sent to Russia are presumably recruited from this elite unit. The general also sits on the Central Committee of the Workers' Party
Kim Yong Bok currently also serves as Vice Chief of the General Staff. But he also belongs to the highest leadership circle within the Labor Party. He was elected to its central committee for the first time in 2016.
Kim Yong Bok has been spotted alongside Kim Jong Un in over half a dozen public appearances this year alone. According to the US Department of Defense, at least 8,000 North Korean soldiers are now in the Kursk region of Russia.
On Monday, Ukrainian authorities reported for the first time that North Korean soldiers had come under fire there. The information cannot be independently verified.
South Korea's defense minister recently called North Korean soldiers "cannon fodder mercenaries." Media reports also state that they are physically short and appear weak. Their fighting ability and motivation were also repeatedly questioned.
But experts warn against underestimating the North Korean troops. They shouldn't lack motivation. If even a fraction of the rumored $2,000 monthly wage ends up in their pockets, it would be many times what they receive as wages in North Korea.