Demand for weapons and ballistic missile technology will likely continue to drive North Korea activity in the Middle East, experts told NK News, even as the country appears to be carrying out a broader reshuffle of where it invests its resources overseas.

North Korea has had its fair share of involvement in the region, from sending pilots to help Egypt during the Yom Kippur War during the 1970s and developing ballistic missiles with Iran to exporting weapons that Hamas apparently used in its attacks against Israel on Oct. 7.

As the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues unabated, experts