[Issue ON] "Putin relies on North Korea for failing to find a bullet in Russia."

■ Host: Lee Harin anchor
■ Starring: Kim Dae-young, researcher at the Korea Institute for National Strategy

* The text below may differ from the actual broadcast content, so please check the broadcast for more accurate information. Please specify [YTN NewsON] when quoting.

[Anchor]
This time, I will ask the expert in more detail. Kim Dae-young, a military researcher at the Korea Institute for National Strategy, is on the phone. Hello?

[Daeyoung Kim]
How are you?

[Anchor]
It is said to be a storm troop of North Korean soldiers who were dispatched. What kind of unit is it?

[Daeyoung Kim]
In the case of North Korea, special forces are selected as Hawaii's military service. For example, in the case of our military, we have the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps, but in the case of North Korea, we have a separate military type because it is a special operation force. Another thing can be considered to be North Korea's most elite unit.

[Anchor]
There's a theory that six people were killed, but have they already been put into the battlefield?

[Daeyoung Kim]
There are various news coming from Ukraine. Some appear to be unverified. However, given that the Korean government called a meeting today, there is a possibility that he may have died enough. Also, according to some media, there are rumors that the dead bodies were buried at the scene. It seems that these news are being known accurately because Ukraine has various sources of information on the Russian side.

[Anchor]
If you look at the video, the soldiers' faces look very young. How old are you estimated to be?

[Daeyoung Kim]
You can probably watch it in your early 20s or early 30s. In the case of liver troops, it seems that they have selected excellent personnel in combat and physical strength. However, some analysts say that it is a little dwarfed by the size of our military's special forces.

[Anchor]
He looks smaller and younger than I thought. Eighteen people have deserted. And there are reports that they were captured by Russian troops after deserting. If we think of these soldiers as us, they are from the MZ generation, but they are not controlled by the military authorities, can we see them like this?

[Daeyoung Kim]
Of course, that's the biggest problem for the Russian military. There seems to be a lot of situations where food and important supplies are not delivered to the front. From the perspective of combat soldiers, they can fight if they eat well, but because these things are not delivered well, it seems that there are a series of situations in which they desert.

[Anchor]
The South Korean military is sending such news to North Koreans through a loudspeaker. I'm also curious about the public opinion in North Korea. Do you have any children's songs?

[Daeyoung Kim]
If North Korea now sends North Korean soldiers through Russia to the front line of Ukraine, it is not known in North Korea. That's why I would be very shocked if it became known, especially to North Korean soldiers on the military demarcation line. And when these news comes from within North Korea, there may be a stir. Perhaps for that reason, it is observed that North Korea is not officially announcing it.

[Anchor]
He said that there could be a children's song just by the news of the dispatch. But the U.N. Security Council, Barbara Woodward, said this. "The harder it is for Russian President Vladimir Putin to recruit Russians who will be bulletproof in an illegal war, the more he seems to rely on North Korea," he said. What do you think?

[Daeyoung Kim]
From Russia's point of view, it seems difficult to lead the war in Ukraine to the state they want. In fact, we need to bring in more troops, but if that happens, our dependence on North Korea will inevitably increase. On the other hand, North Korea is known to receive at least 2,000 dollars for Russian mercenaries fighting in the war in Ukraine. However, the more troops sent, the more foreign currency they can earn from North Korea's perspective, so in a way, it seems that the interests of Russia and North Korea match each other.

[Anchor]
You mentioned that it is a means of earning foreign currency. However, North Korea is still denying that it is a groundless rumor, even though evidence continues to emerge. You said earlier that you were concerned about the residents' agitation, but is there another reason?

[Daeyoung Kim]
This is an assumption, but it is expected that if North Korean soldiers are killed while fighting in the war in Ukraine, or photos and videos like this will be posted in November. If these things become known within North Korea, they could be very serious agitation that could shake the regime, so what would our government do in that regard? In particular, it seems that psychological warfare against North Korean soldiers who are out in Ukraine and will be an important factor in the future Ukrainian front.

[Anchor]
They analyzed that psychological warfare will be important in the future. However, Kim Jong-un is the first to dispatch troops like this among the three generations of hereditary successions, including Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-il, and Kim Jong-un. If it fails, it will be a burden, so what exactly does Chairman Kim Jong-un want?

[Daeyoung Kim]
In fact, the North Korean military often intervened in various wars around the world after the Cold War. There were many cases where military advisors or troops were secretly dispatched without knowing. It's nothing new. However, from Kim Jong-un's point of view, it is judged that the North Korean military made a bold decision to dispatch troops this time with the aim of building such a real-world permission, first of all, earning foreign currency and secondly, because the North Korean military has no real-world experience.

[Anchor]
Our government will also consider providing weapons of destruction to Ukraine, what weapons can be supported as we announced today?

[Daeyoung Kim]
The first thing I can say is that Ukraine wants 155mm shells the most. In fact, 155mm shells around the world are being sucked in like black holes in the war in Ukraine. Since Korea has a large amount of shells among its allies, including the West, especially the United States, it is expected that the number of requests for such support will increase significantly in the future. Another thing I mentioned earlier is that there is a high possibility of requesting the dispatch of military personnel related to psychological warfare or dispatch of troops.

[Anchor]
I've pointed out the possibility of weapons support measures, so please summarize how our government will respond other than weapons support measures.

[Daeyoung Kim]
In a way, the current situation is urgent, and the other thing is that we have to intervene in the war against Ukraine whether we want it or not, so we need to judge the current situation in detail at the government level. In particular, if North Korean soldiers appear on the front line in November, I think the South Korean government's thoughts and judgments will change a lot then.

[Anchor]
We've even looked at our government's countermeasures. So far, I have been with Kim Dae-young, a military researcher at the Korea Institute for National Strategy. Thank you.

[Daeyoung Kim]
Thank you.