Little publicized until today, Kim Yong-bok has come out of the shadows since he was at the head of more than 10,000 North Korean soldiers detached to Russia. Although little information is available about him, he is one of Kim Jong-un's closest collaborators.
A sparse biography. Until now unknown to the general public, General Kim Yong-bok has found himself in the spotlight since his appointment by Kim Jong-un to head the more than 10,000 soldiers deployed in Russia in his war against Ukraine. According to South Korea's National Intelligence Service, they are stationed on the edge of Ukraine's eastern border, in the Kursk region.
Considered the deputy chief of the army's General Staff, General Kim Yong-bok is the highest ranking officer in the detachment. According to the Japanese press agency Kyodo News, the time of his arrival on Russian territory remains unknown, but the latter was already present there at the end of October. His mission? Inserting North Korean troops into Russian forces and observing the battlefield – even if it will not take part in the fighting – so that its country can draw inspiration from the military strategy of its ally in the event of external aggression, reported the Opinion in a long portrait.
For its part, the agency specializing in North Korea, NKNews reveals that the general was until today in the shadows due to his role as head of the “Storm Corps” unit, considered the most important in the world, with around 200,000 men and in general, responsible for infiltration missions in the Korean peninsula to anticipate a possible war in the area.
Kim Jong-un's trusted person
According to Jeon Kyung-joo, a researcher at the Korea Institute for Defense Analysis funded by the South Korean government, North Korea intends to demonstrate to Russia that it is providing its best elements to lead the North's troops. Koreans. “There were, until now, good reasons to hide it from the rest of the world. Behind the scenes, he clearly proved that we could count on him,” she told the Wall Street Journal.
Visits to areas affected by floods, special forces exercises, very close to Kim Jung-un, General Kim Yong-bok and the North Korean leader have often appeared side by side. Indeed, the British news agency Reuters counted seven appearances by the soldier at the North Korean leader's events this year.
Still according to information from the Wall Street Journal, “Kim Jong-un told the Russians: 'I'm sending one of my best men. He's sitting right next to me.” General Kim is not the only dignitary leading Pyongyang's soldiers sent to Ukraine. The country's government said three other senior military officials would accompany him. Together, they are part of a delegation of 500 North Korean officers sent to Russia.
In this escalation of the conflict, Russia provided anti-aircraft missiles to North Korea in exchange for sending troops, the South Korean national security director said on Friday. “It has been established that anti-aircraft equipment and missiles intended to strengthen Pyonyang's vulnerable air defense system were delivered to North Korea,” said Shin Won-sik, Seoul's top security adviser.
