WASHINGTON: The national security advisors of South Korea, the United States, and Japan expressed “grave concern” regarding North Korea’s recent deployment of troops to Russia, which may be intended for use in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The advisors urged North Korea and Russia to halt their military cooperation, according to a White House official.
According to Yonhap News Agency, John Kirby, the National Security Communications Advisor, stated that South Korea’s National Security Advisor Shin Won-sik, along with his U.S. and Japanese counterparts, Jake Sullivan and Takeo Akiba, convened in Washington to address this and other mutual concerns. Seoul and Washington have confirmed that North Korea dispatched thousands of troops to eastern Russia earlier this month, marking a significant indication of their deepening military collaboration amid the Ukraine conflict.
Kirby noted in a virtual briefing that the advisors expressed serious apprehensions over the troop deployment by North Korea, possibly for
battlefield use against Ukraine. He emphasized that this move signals a troubling escalation in military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, which includes arms and ballistic missile exchanges in direct violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions.
The national security advisors called on Russia and North Korea to cease actions that extend the security implications of Russia’s war beyond Europe and into the Indo-Pacific region. They reiterated their commitment to addressing shared regional and global challenges and promoting security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.
Shin, Sullivan, and Akiba also discussed potential responses to evolving scenarios as North Korea and Russia’s military cooperation progresses. Shin assured there is consensus among Seoul, Washington, and Tokyo regarding the troop dispatch, and they agreed to work with the international community to address the military alignment between Pyongyang and Moscow.
Shin highlighted that the troop deployment is a clear violatio
n of U.N. Security Council resolutions and undermines both international and Korean Peninsula security. The countries pledged to respond firmly to North Korea and Russia’s military ties, working closely with the global community to take necessary measures as the situation unfolds.
North Korea’s Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jong-gyu, through state media, appeared to acknowledge the troop deployment, suggesting it aligns with international law. South Korea’s intelligence agency confirmed North Korea plans to send up to 10,000 troops to Russia by year-end, with around 3,000 already dispatched, a figure corroborated by the White House.
The security advisors reaffirmed their dedication to trilateral cooperation and laid plans to institutionalize efforts for a sustained trilateral partnership promoting peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific. They expressed opposition to any unilateral attempts to alter the status quo by force in Indo-Pacific waters, upholding the global maritime order as per the U.N. Convention on
the Law of the Sea.
Friday’s meeting marks the second convergence of the three countries’ national security advisors since a landmark summit at Camp David in August last year, and the fifth such meeting under the Biden administration.