It can be affirmed that the defense of North Korea was not only built from the foundation by the Soviet Union, but also directly transferred military-technology from the Soviet Union, over a period of half a century. Currently many Soviet weapons, still the mainstay of strength in the Korean Army.
However, the successor of the Soviet Union, Russia, did not make strong moves to help North Korea like it did under the Soviet Union. In the 21st century, that role has fallen to China, and China is increasingly active in asserting its geopolitical interests in East Asia.