North Korean troops will become 'cannon fodder' if they join Russia's war against Ukraine, South Korea says

South Korea's UN ambassador says North Korean soldiers will become "cannon fodder" in Ukraine.

North Korea is believed to have sent thousands of troops to aid in the Russian war effort.

South Korea's prediction echoes what Ukraine and the US have said about Russia's war of attrition.

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North Korean troops headed to fight in Ukraine will "end up as mere cannon fodder," Joonkook Hwang, the South Korean ambassador to the UN, said on Wednesday.

Hwang was speaking at a UN Security Council briefing in New York on the Russian invasion of Ukraine when he referenced North Korea's involvement in the conflict.

North Korea is believed to have sent thousands of troops to aid Russia in its war against Ukraine, per officials from South Korea, Ukraine, and the US.

"As legitimate military targets, they will end up as mere cannon fodder, while the wages they are supposed to receive from Russia

will end up squarely in Kim Jong-un's pocket," Hwang said of the Russia-bound North Korean troops.

"Pyongyang's treatment of its young soldiers, its own people, as expendable will be never forgiven," he added.

The news of North Korea's troops joining Russian troops comes as Russia has struggled to find the manpower for its military. It has turned to tactics like offering significant signing bonuses — as high as 1.9 million rubles, or about $22,000 — and turning to its prison population to fuel its war effort.

Hwang's prediction of the fate that awaits North Korean troops echoes comments Ukraine and the US have made over the course of the war.

In April 2022, Ukraine's defense ministry said Russia was having trouble conscripting troops because people didn't want "to become cannon fodder for the occupier's army."

In June, the Pentagon said North Korean soldiers will become "cannon fodder" if they are sent to aid the Russian war effort.

Russia has come to rely more on its allies as it sustains its war in Ukraine. Facing a shortage of arms, Russia has turned to countries like North Korea and Iran for weapons.

In June, Russian leader Vladimir Putin signed a wartime pact with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The agreement stands to open up another source of war supplies and ammunition to Russia.

"With boots on the ground alongside the supply of munitions, the DPRK has become the most visible, ardent, and committed supporter of Russia's aggression in Europe," Hwang said on Wednesday.

The war in Ukraine has now passed the two-and-a-half-year mark. As Russia continues to wage war, it faces a slew of problems at home, including inflation, currency issues, and a demographic crisis.

Wartime spending is propping up Russia's economy, with some economists saying the war is the only thing keeping the country from entering an immediate recession.

Representatives for South Korea's mission to the UN did not respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.