Top South Korean diplomats, security officials, and their U.S. counterparts strongly condemned the military cooperation between North Korea and Russia.
On Thursday, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae Yul and Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun, alongside U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, held the sixth U.S.-Republic of Korea Foreign and Defense Ministerial Meeting (2+2) at the State Department in Washington. At this meeting, they adopted a joint statement addressing these issues.
In the statement, the ministers revealed the deepening military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, including ongoing illegal weapons transfers and the reported deployment of North Korean troops to Russia. They emphasized that this military collaboration not only violates multiple UN Security Council resolutions but also exacerbates the suffering of the Ukrainian people and poses a threat to the stability of both the Indo-Pacific region and Europe.
The ministers identified strategies to address the challenges arising from Russia-North Korea security cooperation and pledged to closely monitor and further disclose Russia’s support for North Korea. Both nations agreed to enforce independent sanctions and actively collaborate with the international community to deter any further illegal, reckless, and destabilizing actions.
The two nations strongly condemned North Korea’s recent provocations, including last month’s intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test. They reaffirmed that any nuclear attack by North Korea against South Korea would prompt an immediate, overwhelming, and decisive response.
The ministers made it clear that the U.S. would not tolerate any nuclear attack by North Korea against the U.S. or its allies, as it would lead to the regime’s downfall. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
Notably, the term “denuclearization” was included in this statement, which was absent from the joint statement from the previous day’s Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) between the defense ministers.
Furthermore, they underscored the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait as a crucial element for international security and prosperity.
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