Summary
North Korea is sending thousands of soldiers to support Russia in the Ukraine war, expecting compensation of $200 million annually. In return, Russia is providing North Korea with rice, advanced space technology, and potential military assistance in the event of a contingency on the Korean Peninsula.
Despite the the National Intelligence Service’s assessment that the costs outweigh the benefits, experts believe North Korea is securing a strategic advantage by aligning itself with Russia.
Their recent launches have been using field Russia more commonly uses, so they might be getting Russian engines.