North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrived in Russia on Tuesday for meetings with President Vladimir Putin, where U.S. officials say they expect both sides to pursue an arms deal.
The White House has said Russia wants to buy "literally millions" of artillery shells and rockets from North Korea.
Hinton told Reuters the question of quality in North Korean artillery shells could have an impact if flaws fall outside accepted tolerances.
The performance of North Korea's artillery and crews has been suspect since the North Korean army fired around 170 shells at the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong in 2010, killing four people.
"However, it would matter if Korean ammunition is of such poor quality that it is just unsafe to use for Russian soldiers - there have been indications that such quality issues play with Korean ammunition," he added.
Persons:
Danish Siddiqui, Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, Joseph Dempsey, Siemon Wezeman, Wezeman, Patrick Hinton, Hinton, Josh Smith, Lincoln
Organizations:
REUTERS, Danish, Rights, International Institute for Strategic Studies, Western, North, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, British Army, Royal United Services Institute, Korean, Thomson
Locations:
Pyongyang, North Korea, Rights SEOUL, Korea, Russia, Ukraine, Stockholm, Korean, Yeonpyeong, Washington