Russia and North Korea Commitment Leads to South Korea’s Outrage

Russia and North Korea Provoke OUTRAGE

What was said: South Korea quickly denounced the “illegal” alliance as a threat to regional security.

 

Defense Minister: Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and his North Korean counterpart, Kang Sun Nam, signed a pact this week in Pyongyang, the North Korean capital. The pact promised that either country would “immediately” respond to attacks on the other. 

 

The Deal: The deal is an expansion of agreements reached during a summit in Russia in September, when Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met at a Russian space facility to discuss defense cooperation. 

Shoigu attended a defense exhibition in Pyongyang marking the 70th anniversary of the Korean War armistice, which ended fighting on the Korean Peninsula in 1953, as well as the recent birthday of Kim Jong Un’s father, Kim Jong Il. 

 

The Foreign Ministry: South Korea’s Foreign Ministry on Friday said the latest pact between Russia and North Korea was “an illegal act that goes against U.N. Security Council resolutions and various other international agreements.”

“It’s a threat to the peace and security of not just the Korean Peninsula, but also Northeast Asia and the international community,” the ministry said in a statement. 

Meanwhile, U.S. officials have expressed concern that North Korea is providing weapons and ammunition to Russia for use in its ongoing invasion of Ukraine. 

North Korea Security Breach: On Thursday, the United States accused North Korea of violating U.N. Security Council resolutions by sending military equipment to Russia, marking the first time Washington has officially charged Pyongyang with transferring weapons to Russia. 

The U.S. Treasury Department last week announced new sanctions on three entities that it said were helping North Korea procure supplies for Russia’s military. 

The White House says North Korea has sent more than 1,000 containers of military equipment and munitions to Russia since August. U.S. officials believe Pyongyang wants advanced Russian weapons technologies in return. 

 

Warning Issued: Washington has repeatedly warned Moscow that it would face consequences for acquiring military equipment from North Korea, which is banned from exporting weapons under U.N. Security Council resolutions. 

 

On the Defensive: North Korea has defended its weapons transfers as its sovereign right, saying it would continue to strengthen its relationship with Russia “in all areas.” 

Pyongyang has also blamed the United States for the war in Ukraine, calling the U.S. “the root cause of the crisis” and accusing Washington of pursuing a “hegemonic policy” that threatens global peace.