CNN
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Russia and North Korea signed a mutual defense pact this week, sending ripples across the region, with South Korea convening Moscow’s envoy on Friday and Japan and the United States expressing serious concerns.
The defense pact, forged against the backdrop of Putin’s brutal war against Ukraine, is the most significant agreement Russia and North Korea have signed in decades and is seen as something of a revival of a 1961 Cold War-era mutual defense pledge.
The agreement was signed on Wednesday during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Pyongyang, where he was given a lavish welcome by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
It strengthens the Kim regime’s strong ties to world powers that wield veto power in the U.N. Security Council and gives Russia a defense pact with South Korea’s biggest adversary.
South Korea, a U.S. treaty ally, has denounced the pact and summoned Russia’s ambassador on Friday, an unusual diplomatic move that signals rising tensions between Seoul and Moscow.
According to South Korea’s Foreign Ministry, First Vice Minister Kim Hong-gyun conveyed the Seoul government’s “stern stance” on the defense pact between Kim Jong Un and Putin, and called on Moscow to “immediately halt military cooperation” with Pyongyang and comply with UN Security Council resolutions.
“Any cooperation that may directly or indirectly contribute to strengthening North Korea’s military capabilities violates UN Security Council resolutions,” the ministry said, adding that Russia, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, should “act responsibly.”
A US military official, who has about 30,000 troops stationed in South Korea, told CNN that the growing ties between Russia and North Korea were worrying.
“These developments should be of concern to all countries interested in maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, complying with UN Security Council resolutions, and supporting the Ukrainian people in defending their freedom and independence from Russia’s brutal aggression,” the military official said.
Putin visited Vietnam on Thursday and renewed his threats against Western countries and their Asian allies.
At the end of the visit, he told Russian journalists that NATO was “threatening” Russia in Asia.
“We know what is happening in Asia, don’t we? A bloc system is being hastily created there. NATO has already established a permanent presence in Asia. This, of course, poses a threat to all countries in the region, including the Russian Federation. We have an obligation to respond to this, and we will,” Putin said.
He also warned that South Korea would be making a “very big mistake” if it decided to supply arms to Ukraine, and insisted that South Korea had “nothing to worry about” regarding the new strategic partnership between Russia and North Korea.
“As far as I know, South Korea has no plans for aggression against North Korea, which means there is no need to fear our cooperation in this area,” he said.
03:57 – Source: CNN
North Korea says a defense pact between Kim Jong Un and Putin allows them to assist each other with all available means if either country is attacked.
But at the same time, Russian government officials have warned that Moscow plans to send weapons to North Korea.
“What will the people of this country (South Korea) say if they see the launch of modern Russian weapons from their closest neighbor and our partner, North Korea?” Russian official Dmitry Medvedev said in a Telegram post.
U.S. and South Korean militaries regularly conduct exercises and drills on and around the Korean Peninsula, and the two allies are cooperating more closely with Japan, including recent exercises involving the militaries of all three countries.
Jang Ho-jin, director of the National Security Advisory Office, said South Korea would consider providing weapons to Ukraine, but noted that it was also prepared to wait for an explanation from the Russian government regarding the results of the meeting between President Putin and Chairman Kim Jong-un.
Currently, South Korea has a policy of not providing lethal weapons to Ukraine.
Asked later about those remarks, Putin responded, “As for the supply of lethal weapons to combat zones in Ukraine, this would be a very big mistake. I hope that this does not happen. If it does, we will take the appropriate decision, which is unlikely to please the current leadership of South Korea.”
Nikoletta Stoyanova/Getty Images
Ukrainian soldiers from the 57th Mechanized Brigade operate an artillery position near Vovchansk, Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine, June 9, 2024.
Reports early in the war suggested that South Korea may have provided the United States with 155mm shells to replace those sent to Ukraine.
A recent report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said that South Korea’s stockpile of 105mm howitzer shells could prove a significant force on the Ukrainian battlefield if deployed to Kiev.
“Based on publicly available reports, South Korea possesses approximately 3.4 million 105mm artillery shells,” the CSIS report said.
Ukraine reportedly has approximately 105mm guns.
“During the Vietnam War, these lightweight howitzers proved essential to firebases due to their high maneuverability on roads and in the air. Their light weight and maneuverability allow Ukrainian artillery forces to move quickly after firing, a key tactic for survival on the modern battlefield. These howitzers also enable Ukrainian battlefield commanders to engage high-value targets in rough terrain,” the CSIS report states.
Earlier, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi also expressed strong concerns about the agreement signed between Russia and North Korea.
“The fact that President Putin did not deny military-technical cooperation with North Korea, which could be a direct violation of UN Security Council resolutions, is a matter of serious concern in terms of the impact it could have on the security environment surrounding our country,” Hayashi said at a press conference.
