North Korea may have been involved in the recent attack by Hamas terrorists against Israel, possibly through an arms trade and transfer of tactics and doctrine, the South Korean military said in an assessment.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said in its interim evaluation of the Israel–Hamas war that North Korea appears to have a connection with Hamas and possibly contributed to its surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7.
“Hamas’s attack methods resemble the asymmetric attack pattern we anticipate from North Korea,” it stated. “Therefore, we presume that there is a possibility of North Korea transferring tactics and doctrine, as well as providing training support based on this observation.”
Hamas reportedly used paragliders—a method previously used by North Korea—to breach the Gaza–Israel border during the attack. In December 2016, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un guided a paragliding exercise against a replica of South Korea’s presidential office, according to the report.
While there’s no evidence indicating a direct link between the North Korean regime and the Hamas terrorist group, South Korea’s JCS said that North Korea could have indirect exchanges with Hamas.
“North Korea has substantial and active interactions with several Middle Eastern countries and various armed groups that have close relationships with Hamas,” an official with South Korea’s JCS said in a closed-door briefing. These countries include Iran and Syria, the official said.
While South Korea’s JCS also found no concrete proof that North Korea had exported weapons to Hamas, the military officials found that there have been reports of Hamas using North Korean weapons, such as F-7 rocket-propelled grenades.
“These findings indicate an ongoing pattern of North Korea exporting various weapons to Middle Eastern countries and armed groups,” the South Korean military stated.
European researchers Joost Oliemans and Stijn Mitzer told Reuters that the F-7 is easily discernible from similar rocket-propelled grenades by the red band around the warhead. Such red bands are visible in photos shared by IDF and other social media accounts.
‘Hamas-Style Surprise Attack Tactics’
South Korea’s JCS said that it’s possible that North Korea could employ “Hamas-style surprise attack tactics” against South Korea despite the differences in battlefield situations.“While North Korea’s situation, terrain, and conditions may differ, and their combat capabilities are not identical, the country can certainly gain valuable insights and lessons from what has transpired,” a senior official told The Korea Herald.
Since the beginning of 2022, North Korea has carried out more than 100 weapons tests, many of which have involved nuclear-capable missiles designed to strike the United States, South Korea, and Japan.
North Korea’s testing spree has forced the United States and South Korea to expand their drills, resume trilateral training involving Japan, and enhance “regular visibility” of U.S. strategic assets to the Korean Peninsula.
The growing military ties between North Korea and Russia have also sparked concerns. The U.S. Mission to the United Nations said that Russia has received more than 1,000 containers of munitions from North Korea “in recent weeks.”
