South Korea has voiced “grave concern” over Russia’s initiative to establish a defense pact with North Korea, which faces accusations of supplying troops to Moscow for potential deployment in the Ukraine conflict.
On Thursday, Russia’s lower house of parliament unanimously approved a treaty committing Moscow and Pyongyang to “mutual assistance” if either faces an attack, with the upper house expected to endorse it soon.
Seoul’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on Friday, urging an “immediate withdrawal of North Korean troops and an end to illegal cooperation.” The ministry emphasized its commitment to work closely with the international community to firmly counter military collaboration between Russia and North Korea and pledged to take appropriate action as their alliance develops.
This rebuke from Seoul followed comments from South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, who criticized the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia as a “provocation that threatens global security.” He also hinted at possible arms support for Ukraine if North Korean forces continue their involvement in the conflict.
“If North Korea sends special forces to aid Russia in Ukraine, we will support Ukraine in stages and explore necessary measures to bolster security on the Korean Peninsula,” Yoon said during a joint news conference with Polish President Andrzej Duda.
United States and South Korean officials reported on Wednesday that an estimated 3,000 North Korean troops had been observed at multiple locations across Russia. Ukraine’s military intelligence noted that North Korean troops, trained in Russia, were already stationed in the Kursk region near Ukraine, an area marked by intense fighting.
Speaking at the close of the BRICS summit in Kazan on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin avoided directly addressing questions regarding satellite images of North Korean troop movements. Putin, who signed a “comprehensive strategic partnership” with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during a visit to Pyongyang in June, remarked that it was “our business” how Moscow implements the mutual defense clause.
In response, North Korea’s UN mission in New York on Monday dismissed the troop deployment claims as “groundless, stereotyped rumors.”
