North Korea has sent about US$10 billion worth of weapons and troops to Russia under their deal to support Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, but Pyongyang has received comparatively limited compensation.
Axar.az informs, citing Yonhap, the report, commissioned by the Korea Office of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, said it showed signs of "unequal partnership" between North Korea and Russia although they have intensified their military cooperation.
The report said North Korea has provided weapons, ammunition and troops worth up to $9.8 billion, or more than one-third of the North's annual estimated economic output, since 2023.
In contrast, Russia's direct compensation to the North is estimated at a maximum of $1.2 billion, which includes mainly food and oil assistance, along with "a small number of air defense systems, GPS jammers and possibly fighter aircraft."