NKB by KWIC ( KWIC news Feb.04 Toronto) North Korea's recent sales of its small-sized submarines to Vietnam merit a high degree of attention. According to the report of the JDW of Britain, North Korea sold two small, old-fashioned submarines to Vietnam eighteen months ago. With their respective displacement of 290 tons, these two submarines can be loaded with four torpedoes and can carry as many as thirty people. In addition, they have the capability of laying water mines. The KWIC believes that they are just a kind of the small YOGO-class submarines that now equip both the North Korean Navy and the Reconnaissance Bureau of the People's Army. They are mainly used for the special military operations, such as the infiltration of people into the enemy waters. Generally, however, they don't possess such a real fighting capability as a modern submarine.
North Korea's motive for the sales of weapons to Vietnam at this time is worth a high degree of attention. First of all, this movement will arouse the vigilance of China. Vietnam is a country that has a serious dispute with China on the territorial waters. At present, both China and Vietnam are expediting the upgrading of their respective equipment. More importantly, according to the KWIC, it is highly possible that by this movement, Korea hopes to obtain through Vietnam the advanced weapons and technology of Russia and the other East European countries. After the establishment of the diplomatic relationship between Russia and South Korea in the 1990s, China and Russia discontinued one after another their supply of the heavy-duty weapons to North Korea. Now, North Korea's weapons and devices are mostly obsolete and the equipment of its navy and air force can hardly meet the demand of the modern warfare. On the contrary, Vietnam has greatly enhanced its military relationship with Russia.
It is reported that ever since 1997, North Korea has been hoping to obtain from Moscow the military equipment that reflects the development level of the 1980s, including the KILO-class submarines. Considering its special relationship with South Korea, Russia has made a prudent response to the request of North Korea ( Kanwa news ).
