North Korea demonstrated its growing military alliance with Russia during Moscow’s Victory Day parade. North Korean troops marched in Red Square for the first time on Friday. The parade marked the 81st anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany. Consequently, this military alliance now includes ground, naval, and air forces from the Korean People’s Army. Russian President Vladimir Putin personally thanked a North Korean military commander after the ceremony. The Korean Central News Agency reported that North Korea participated at Russia’s invitation. Russian media confirmed that this marked the first such participation ever.
This military alliance has deepened significantly since June 2024. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Putin signed a Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership at that time. South Korean intelligence estimates that Pyongyang has deployed about 15,000 troops to support Russia’s war against Ukraine. Therefore, the Victory Day parade served as a public display of their growing cooperation. Rodong Sinmun, North Korea’s ruling party newspaper, devoted its first two pages to the event. It published photos and excerpts from Putin’s speech praising the North Korean contingent. Putin specifically mentioned the North Korean troops’ role in the liberation of Kursk.
An expert in Seoul analyzed the significance of this military alliance. Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University’s Institute for Far Eastern Studies, said the participation of multiple service branches formalized solidarity at the entire military level. He noted that Putin personally meeting the North Korean commander treated them as allied forces on par with Russia’s regular military. Consequently, Lim described the event as symbolizing the completion of a North Korea-Russia blood alliance. He contrasted this with the Korean War era when North Korea received Soviet support. Now, 76 years later, Pyongyang portrays itself as helping retake Russian territory.
North Korea aims to shed the stigma of being a mere dispatched force through this military alliance. Pyongyang instead presents its soldiers as a righteous unit fighting against Nazism and NATO-backed forces. Lim suggested that North Korea likely seeks compensation from Moscow by emphasizing its troops defended Russian territory with blood. The Victory Day parade also allows Pyongyang to glorify battlefield experience gained in Ukraine. Furthermore, this military alliance strengthens domestic regime legitimacy for Kim Jong-un. North Korea signals that it is a core partner in Russia’s confrontation with the United States and NATO. As Washington increases pressure, military cooperation with Moscow will deepen further.
Looking ahead, this military alliance may lead to near-automatic intervention in a Korean contingency. North Korea has secured a relationship with nuclear-armed Russia that mirrors South Korea’s alliance with the United States. Lim noted that Pyongyang repeatedly cites Putin’s speech to criticize US aggression. The North portrays itself as a key actor in an emerging multipolar world order. The Victory Day parade thus served as a powerful propaganda tool for both nations. For now, the military alliance between Pyongyang and Moscow continues to solidify. Observers expect further joint military activities in the coming months.
