Seoul: President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea declared that the nation would not “sit idle” following North Korea’s dispatch of troops to Russia, vowing to take necessary actions “step by step” based on the level of military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow. His remarks came after a summit with Polish President Andrzej Duda in Seoul, where both leaders condemned North Korea’s actions and agreed to bolster joint responses to the increasing security threats.
According to Yonhap News Agency, during the summit, Presidents Yoon and Duda condemned North Korea’s nuclear and missile advancements and its “illegal” military alliance with Russia. They emphasized that North Korea’s troop deployment to Russia constitutes a direct breach of the U.N. Charter and U.N. Security Council resolutions, posing a global security threat beyond the Korean Peninsula and Europe. In a joint press conference, Yoon stated, “The Republic of Korea will never sit idle over this and take necessary measures step by step in coordinatio
n with the international community depending on the development of N. Korea-Russia military cooperation.”
The situation escalated on Wednesday when South Korea’s intelligence agency and the White House confirmed that approximately 3,000 North Korean soldiers have been dispatched to eastern Russia for training, with the possibility of further deployments amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
President Yoon also expressed his commitment to supporting South Korea’s negotiations with Poland to finalize an additional deal for K2 tanks by year-end, valued at around US$7 billion. This follows Poland’s significant defense contracts with South Korea in 2022, worth 17 trillion won (US$12.4 billion), for K2 tanks, K9 self-propelled howitzers, FA-50 light attack aircraft, and Chunmoo multiple rocket launchers, aimed at enhancing its military capabilities amid the Russia-Ukraine war.
Following these agreements, Poland signed a $2.67 billion contract for K9 howitzers in December 2023 and a $1.64 billion deal for Chunmoo
rocket systems in April. President Duda expressed satisfaction with the deployment of South Korean weaponry in the Polish military and highlighted the potential for future collaboration in joint production and marketing. “We look forward to seeing these Korean-made weapons produced in Poland in the future and hope that the weapons manufactured in Poland can be exported to other European countries as well,” Duda stated through a translator.
During the final day of Duda’s four-day state visit on Friday, he is scheduled to visit key defense firms, including Hyundai Rotem, the K2 tank producer, and Hanwha Aerospace, the K9 howitzer manufacturer. The two leaders also agreed to initiate regular consultations between their defense and military authorities to strengthen cooperation and collaborate on Ukraine’s reconstruction efforts.
Additionally, they committed to expanding partnerships in energy, infrastructure, and advanced technologies, encompassing batteries, electric vehicles, robotics, and clean energy, as p
er Yoon’s office.