Nordkoreanska soldater vid ryska fronten : En utrikespolitisk analys av Nordkoreas fördjupade allians med Ryssland

North Korea is the most isolated country on earth. However in June 2024 North Korea signeda security alliance with Russia which is suspected to have entailed among other things a mutual defence clause, illegal arms trade, and in November North Korean soldiers were sent to Russia for the war in Ukraine. The timing of the alliance is noteworthy taking in account that Russia was already at war. However what is even more noteworthy is that this decision ends North Korea´s isolationist policy and chooses to cooperate closely with Russia rather than Kina were North Korea already has a formal alliance. This makes the subject interesting for a Foreign Policy Analysis (FPA) which aims to explain an actors foreign policy decisionmaking. The objective of this study is to explain this foreign policy decision mainly with the FPA-theory of national attributes, which is something previous studies have failed to adress properly. The method which is being used is a Structured Focused Comparison (SFC) with a qualitative within-case study research design. The key findings of this study are that North Korea is dependent on other countries for essential resources such as food and oil and economic assistance to survive. Additionally, has an ambitious aim to modernize their military capability and nuclear deterrence, which Russia likely supplies North Korea with in the light of their alliance. The conclusion this study draws is that these findings likely is the reason for North Korea´s involvement in the war with Ukraine. However these findings arenot enough to establish a causal relationship. Further research where more detailed data is available would likely produce more certain results in this regard.