South Korea condemns Russia’s move to seal defence pact with North Korea
Al Jazeera
Seoul ‘strongly urges’ immediate withdrawal of North Korean troops from Russia.
South Korea has expressed “grave concern” over Russia’s bid to seal a defence pact with North Korea, which has been accused of supplying troops to Moscow for possible deployment in its war in Ukraine.
Russia’s lower house of parliament on Thursday voted unanimously to endorse the treaty that commits Moscow and Pyongyang to providing “mutual assistance” if either side is attacked.
Seoul “strongly urges the immediate withdrawal of North Korean troops and the cessation of illegal cooperation”, South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Friday.
“The government will work together with the international community to firmly respond to military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, and take appropriate measures as their military collaboration progresses,” the ministry said.
Seoul’s denunciation comes a day after South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol condemned the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia as a “provocation that threatens global security” and raised the possibility of supplying Ukraine with weapons.
