[The World Through Weapons] How Did North Korean Machine Guns Become a Middle Eastern Essential?

Yemeni rebels engaged in combat carrying a North Korean machine gun
[Image source=UN Security Council website/www.un.org/securitycouncil]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] North Korean conventional weapons, including North Korean-made machine guns, which have become almost essential in Middle Eastern civil wars, are spreading further into African conflict zones. Due to the high cost-performance reputation of North Korean weapons proven in various Middle Eastern civil wars, armed rebel groups in Africa connected to Middle Eastern terrorist organizations are also preferring North Korean weapons, leading to increased exports to Africa.

Voice of America (VOA) reported on the 27th of last month that the UK think tank, the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), revealed in a report that North Korean conventional weapons are being trafficked on a large scale in southeastern Africa. According to RUSI's report, North Korea maintains or is suspected of maintaining military cooperation with 11 African countries including Angola, Ethiopia, and Tanzania, and has sold large quantities of conventional weapons to these regions. It is known that North Korean weapons are mainly introduced through allied countries in the Middle East or armed rebel groups with close ties.

In Middle Eastern conflict zones, North Korean weapons are considered almost essential. It has become commonplace to see rebel forces in Syria, Yemen, Iraq, and other areas engaging in combat wielding North Korean-made machine guns. According to reports from the UN Security Council's 2140 Yemen Sanctions Committee expert panel, it has been confirmed that the Houthi rebels in Yemen possess large quantities of North Korea's 'Type 73 machine gun.' This machine gun is known to be very popular among the rebels.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Type 73 machine gun is a weapon called the 'Type 73 Battalion Machine Gun' in North Korea. 'Type 73' means the machine gun was produced in 1973, and 'Battalion' was named to imply it can kill enemies on a battalion scale. It is known to be used not only by the North Korean Army, Navy, and Air Force but also by various units including the Security Department. The weapon is said to be an improved version based on a Czech machine gun.

In addition, North Korean machine guns such as the Type 68 and Type 82 are trafficked along coasts throughout the Middle East and various parts of Africa, with some being intercepted. A 2018 report by the UN Security Council's North Korea Sanctions Committee expert panel revealed evidence that the Syrian government brokered deals involving North Korean machine guns and anti-tank weapons in Sudan.

The seized North Korean Type 73 machine gun [Image source=UN Security Council website/www.un.org/securitycouncil]

The reason North Korean weapons are so popular is said to be their lower price compared to Russian or Chinese weapons. The weapon systems are simple, manual rather than electronic, making them less prone to breakdowns and cheaper to repair, which are cited as advantages. It is known that North Korea earns about 1 to 2 billion USD annually from exporting such small arms. Considering that the United States, officially the world's largest small arms seller, earns about 1.1 billion USD annually in imports, the scale of North Korea's arms trafficking is enormous.

North Korea's arms exports are often called a double-edged sword. While they provide the driving force for North Korea's nuclear development and weapons of mass destruction programs despite sanctions, they also serve as a major reason for sanctions, severely impacting North Korea's economy. In fact, even COVID-19-related aid supplies to North Korea are unable to enter due to sanctions amid ongoing arms trafficking. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) recently revealed that aid supplies destined for North Korea arrived in Dandong, the border area between North Korea and China, but have been unable to enter North Korea for over a month.