Why now? North Korea admits to sending troops to Russia for the first time

On the 28th of this month, North Korea admitted that it had sent troops to Russia on the orders of General Secretary Kim Jung Eun to support Russia's invasion of Ukraine and to take part in the fighting with Ukraine.
The Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of North Korea announced this through the state-run Korean Central News Agency. This is the first time that North Korea has officially acknowledged sending troops to Russia.
It was first reported last year that North Korea was sending large numbers of troops to support Russia.
That was in October. That same month, Russian transport ships transported North Korean soldiers from the ports of Jun Jin (Shinhwa), Hamun, and Wonsan in the eastern part of North Korea to Vladivostok in the far east.
It was reported at the time that the soldiers had received training at a military facility in eastern Russia. In November, it was confirmed that some of them had participated in combat. The South Korean government said that North Korea has so far dispatched more than 10,000 troops.
At the time when North Korea's dispatch of troops to Russia was first reported, it was said that "the recent developments in Russian-North Korean military cooperation will not only lead to a further deterioration of the situation in Ukraine,
"This is a matter of serious concern in terms of the impact it has on the security of the region surrounding our country," said Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Kazuhiko Aoki. "If true, this shows that ties between the two countries have significantly advanced.
"It also shows that Russia, which continues to suffer heavy casualties, is becoming even more desperate," said a US State Department spokesman, and there was a wave of concern and criticism from the international community.
North Korea had been strengthening its ties with Russia even before this, and provided it with weapons and ammunition prior to the deployment of its troops.
During his first visit to North Korea in four years, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un announced a comprehensive strategic partnership that includes providing military assistance to Russia in the event of war between either side.
The background to Russia concluding this treaty with North Korea is said to be that it wanted to expand military cooperation with North Korea through the treaty as the military invasion of Ukraine continues for a long time.
Both the North Korean and Russian governments have denied the dispatch of North Korean troops, but the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of North Korea announced through the Korean Central News Agency on the 28th that North Korean troops had been dispatched to Russia.
The North Korean military had taken part in fighting in the Kursk region of western Russia, where Ukrainian forces were attacking the border.
The report also claims that the decision to send troops was made by Kim Jong Un in accordance with Article 4 of the aforementioned Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty.
In return for providing soldiers, North Korea will provide the latest military technology.
It is believed that the North Korean government had hoped to obtain this information from Russia. According to the news agency, Kim Jong Un referred to the North Korean troops deployed to Russia during the battle in Kursk Oblast as "honorable representatives of the motherland."
He also said that he plans to erect a battle memorial in the capital, Pyongyang. North Korea has acknowledged that there were casualties in the dispatch of troops to Russia.
Prior to this, the Russian government also acknowledged for the first time on the 26th (local time) that North Korean troops were being sent.
During a video conference with President Putin, he praised the North Korean military for "contributing to the liberation of Kursk Oblast and demonstrating great professionalism and courage."
Why did North Korea and Russia suddenly decide to approve the deployment of troops?
Hong Min of the Korea Institute for National Unification told Reuters, "The leaders of North Korea and Russia need to stage a diplomatic performance to pledge stronger ties."