Seoul, NATO Share Concerns over North Korea’s Preparations to Send Troops to Russia

Seoul: South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol and the chief of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Mark Rutte shared concerns over North Korea’s preparations to send troops to Russia Yoon held a phone talks at the request of NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to share the latest developments in military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow, and discuss joint responses, according to South Korea’s News Agency (Yonhap).

Russia’s military operation in Ukraine and the military alignment between Russia and North Korea “once again confirm that the security of the Indo-Pacific region and the Atlantic region are inextricably linked,” Yoon said.

“This undermines the rules-based international order, threatening peace on the Korean Peninsula and globally, and the government will never stand by and let this happen,” he added.

Yoon said South Korea will actively take “phased measures” in response to the level of military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow, expressing hope to seek “practical countermeasures” in cooperation with NATO and its member states.

During the talks, Rutte expressed “serious concerns” over North Korea’s troop dispatch to Russia, which he described as blatantly violating international law and UN Security Council resolutions.

He emphasized that NATO is prepared to actively cooperate with South Korea to respond to the military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, and also expressed hope for strengthening defense industry cooperation and security dialogue among South Korea, Ukraine and NATO in order to address North Korea’s troop deployment to Russia.

Both sides agreed to closely monitor the developments of cooperation between Russia and North Korea, including the potential transfer of sensitive technology, and to explore joint responses.

The conversation took place after the National Intelligence Service in South Korea said Friday the North has decided to send around 12,000 troops to support Russia in the war, with roughly 1,500 soldiers already sent to Russia’s Far East. (QNA)