North Korea ranks among the most prolific arms-exporting nations of the world. With virtually every one of its weapons systems available for sale, Pyongyang remains popular among low-budget sanctions-ridden countries that seek conventional or strategic equipment. While it is commonly known for its proliferation of ballistic missile systems, the DPRK is also a major player in the conventional arms trafficking market.

Ethiopia once enjoyed warm relations with the West during the ’50s and ’60s, ultimately becoming a major U.S. ally in the African continent. This fruitful relationship went as far as securing the participation of Ethiopian troops in the Korean War in the early ’50s.