@Novichok
They're actually old friends - something nobody seems to bring up for some reason. Mostly people talk about Cubans as the USSR's assault troops, but the North Koreans did a lot too.
1) During the Vietnam War they flew Northern fighter jets, and supplied specialists for SAM systems.
2) During the Yom Kippur war they sent advisors and weapons to Egypt and Syria.
3) During the Angolan Civil War they backed the Soviet supported MPLA with training, advisors and weapons.
4) In the Iran-Iraq war they helped Iran, while we couldn't do it overtly.
5) During the Ethiopiam Civil War they send aid and soldiers to the Moscow-aligned Derg regime.
So these fellas are pretty adventurous. On par with the Cubans, for sure.