South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has warned the United Nations that a possible arms deal between Russia and North Korea would be a “direct provocation” that would threaten the security of both South Korea and Ukraine.
Speaking at the UN General Debate in New York on Wednesday, Yoon said that if North Korea received the necessary technology to improve its own weapons of mass destruction in exchange for deliveries of conventional weapons to Russia, it would violate UN Security Council sanctions and destabilize the region.
Yoon accused North Korea of being a “regime that blatantly violates” security council resolutions and said it was paradoxical for a state that is a permanent member of the council, referring to Russia, to invade another sovereign country while receiving “arms and ammunition” from North Korea.
Yoon was referring to Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine, which has escalated in recent weeks. He said that South Korea, “together with its allies and partners, will not stand idly by” and urged the international community to uphold the rules-based order and defend human rights and democracy.
Yoon’s remarks came after Russian President Vladimir Putin met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Russia last week and spoke of a potential for expanding military-technical cooperation. According to experts, North Korea could supply artillery ammunition and missiles for Russia’s war against Ukraine, while Russia could transfer modern military technologies to North Korea.
Putin has said that Russia would abide by existing UN Security Council sanctions, but some analysts have expressed doubts about his sincerity and warned of the risks of a nuclear arms race in Northeast Asia.
(With inputs from dpa news agency)
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