Tactics North Korea Has Learned from Iran and Russia [Yang Nakkyu's Defence Club]

North Korea Likely to Learn Mine Warfare from U.S. Airstrikes on Iran
Strengthening Attacks with Mixed Launch Tactics from the Russia-Ukraine War

Concerns are emerging that North Korea will enhance its military strategy by learning from the Russia-Ukraine war and the U.S. airstrikes against Iran. Recent weapons development trends indicate that North Korea is frequently imitating Russia and China, which means it could change the form of its provocations in various ways in the event of a crisis.

North Korea's Korean Central News Agency reported on the 15th that on the 14th, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw a strike drill using 600mm ultra-precision multiple rocket launchers. Yonhap News Agency

Recently, one of the weapons that the United States has struggled with during its airstrikes against Iran is naval mines. These mines come in several types, including floating mines that drift on the ocean surface, moored mines anchored underwater, and bottom mines that rest on the seafloor. Some detonate only upon direct contact with ships, while others detect passing vessels using sonar or other sensors and then explode. For this reason, torpedoes typically target the stern where the propeller is located, whereas mines strike the front or sides of a ship.

Mines: Top 'Cost-Effective' Asymmetric Power

Iran also possesses a wide variety of naval mines. Mines are considered a representative asymmetric weapon for countries with weak naval power to counter stronger adversaries. It is known that Iran possesses between 2,000 and 6,000 mines, including those of domestic, Chinese, and Russian origin.

Naval mines are regarded as extremely cost-effective weapons. Each mine costs only about $1,500 (approximately 2.19 million won), yet delivers powerful explosive force. For example, during the 1991 Gulf War, the 9-ton U.S. Navy ship Tripoli was struck by a mine, which tore apart and bent the steel hull inward. On the other hand, mine removal (mine sweeping) is very difficult. According to a report by the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, the cost of mine removal is at least ten times the cost of deployment, and the time required can be up to 200 times longer than the time needed to lay the mines.

At the Time of the Cheonan Incident, the Ministry of National Defense Stated: "North Korea Deployed Around 3,000 Mines"

North Korea is believed to possess about 50,000 naval mines. The country has firsthand experience with the strategic importance of mine warfare. In October 1950, in the midst of the Korean War, Republic of Korea and UN forces, having succeeded with the Incheon Landing Operation, attempted to land at Wonsan, Gangwon Province, about 150 kilometers from Pyongyang. However, North Korea had deployed thousands of naval mines off the coast of Wonsan. As a result, the allied landing forces were stranded at sea for nearly a week, slowing the pace of their advance.

During the 2010 sinking of the Cheonan, former Minister of National Defense Kim Tae-young stated in the National Assembly, "During the Korean War, North Korea imported about 4,000 mines from the Soviet Union and installed about 3,000 of them along the east and west coasts. Although many have since been removed, since they are underwater, it would have been difficult to remove all of them completely."

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un remotely attended the strategic cruise missile test launch of the destroyer Choe Hyon Ho on the 10th, as reported by Korean Central Television on the 11th. Six cruise missiles were launched that day. [Korean Central Television screen] Yonhap News Agency

North Korea could also employ a so-called "mixed launch" attack strategy, which it has learned from the Russia-Ukraine war. Russia attacked Ukraine by combining 653 long-range suicide drones with 51 Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, Kh-101, Iskander-K, and Kalibr cruise missiles, and Iskander-M and KN-23 ballistic missiles. The Ukrainian military reported that they shot down 585 of these drones, achieving an interception rate of 89.6%. The problem, however, was that air defense resources were quickly depleted while trying to intercept the drones.

Learning Mixed Launch from Russia, Mass-Producing Drones

North Korea has rapidly advanced by acquiring related technologies and operational experience in exchange for supporting Russia. In November 2024, Chairman Kim Jong Un ordered the mass production of suicide drones immediately after overseeing a performance test. At the military parade celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Workers' Party in October last year, North Korea unveiled a launch vehicle carrying six suicide drones similar to Russia's Lancet-3.

The Ukrainian government has stated that "Russia has transferred Shahed-136 suicide drone technology to Pyongyang and established production lines for mutual exchange." In a report from May last year, the Multinational Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT), composed of 11 Western countries including South Korea, the United States, and Japan, noted that "since November 2024, Russia has provided North Korea with short-range air defense systems, electronic warfare systems, and radio jamming devices, and has trained them in their use."

North Korea's Korean Central News Agency reported on the 15th that North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong Un oversaw a strike drill using 600mm ultra-precision multiple launch rocket systems on the 14th. Yonhap News

In wartime, North Korea could use drones for the initial strike, serving as decoys to exhaust interceptor missiles. They could launch multiple waves of suicide drones or use multiple rocket launchers targeting the Seoul metropolitan area. The range of North Korea's new 240mm rockets is similar to the distance from its forward units to Seoul (about 50 kilometers). In addition, North Korea has deployed about 5,500 multiple rocket launchers of various calibers, including 122mm, 300mm, and 600mm, making a mixed launch possible.

North Korea Capable of Sequential Drone and Missile Attacks

After this, North Korea could use its main missiles, such as cruise and ballistic missiles. The North Korean version of the Iskander, known as the KN-23 (Hwasong-11), is also considered a significant threat. North Korea claims that the KN-23 can be equipped with a miniaturized nuclear warhead, uses solid fuel, and can be launched suddenly from mobile launchers. With a range of over 800 kilometers, it can directly target major military objectives in South Korea.

Kim Daeyoung, a military research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Strategy, stated, "North Korea has developed military doctrines and experience specialized for asymmetric warfare. During the Korean War, they inflicted heavy damage on UN naval vessels by deploying large numbers of mines in the East Sea. By participating in the Russia-Ukraine war, they have also gained expertise in suicide drone and mixed missile attacks."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.