SEOUL: The foreign ministers of South Korea and Britain have issued a strong condemnation of North Korea’s reported deployment of troops to support Russia in Ukraine, highlighting concerns over illegal arms trade between Pyongyang and Moscow. The diplomats emphasized their commitment to monitoring potential reciprocal agreements between Russia and North Korea.
According to Yonhap News Agency, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy released a joint statement on Tuesday after their strategic dialogue in Seoul. The statement, which addressed the situation separately from their bilateral talks, criticized North Korea’s actions and expressed apprehension over the implications for international security.
The statement denounced the “Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s continued unlawful arms transfers” and the deployment of troops to Russia, labeling the actions as support for Russia’s “unlawful war of aggression in Ukraine.” The ministers also noted concerns about
any possible transfer of nuclear or ballistic missile-related technology to North Korea, warning that such actions could undermine global nonproliferation efforts and threaten stability in the Korean Peninsula and beyond.
The diplomats stressed the interconnected security interests of the Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic regions, committing to close monitoring and international collaboration to deter destabilizing activities by North Korea and Russia. They also reaffirmed their nations’ strategic partnership, focusing on cooperation in security, economy, climate change, and technology, as outlined in the Downing Street Accord.
Additionally, South Korea and Britain agreed to enhance high-level exchanges, including a proposed “two plus two” meeting of foreign and defense ministers in early 2025, to further collaboration on regional and global challenges.