South Korea calls for strong countermeasures against North Korea-Russia military cooperation

In a parliamentary address on November 4, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol underscored the urgent need for comprehensive countermeasures against the growing military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, which he described as an escalating security threat to South Korea.

Speaking through Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, Yoon emphasized that North Korea's recent troop deployments to Russia in support of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine have heightened security concerns for the nation, Caliber.Az reports, citing South Korean media.

"The recent international security situation and the illegal military cooperation between North Korea and Russia pose a significant threat to our national security," Yoon stated. He assured that the government would "thoroughly review all possible scenarios to prepare countermeasures."

Yoon highlighted South Korea's strengthened deterrence against North Korean nuclear threats, attributing this progress to its robust alliance with the United States and enhanced trilateral security cooperation with Japan. He reaffirmed a commitment to bolstering security readiness based on these collaborative frameworks.

In addition to military concerns, Yoon expressed a commitment to humanitarian issues, vowing to increase support for North Korean defectors and to raise awareness about human rights conditions in North Korea. He announced plans to host international dialogues aimed at fostering a better understanding of these issues.

"We will work to expand the international community's understanding and support for the vision of a free and unified Korea," Yoon concluded, reinforcing South Korea's dedication to both security and human rights advocacy in the region.

On October 18, foreign media reports claimed that North Korea started sending troops to fight with Russia in Ukraine. The allegation comes a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he believed 10,000 North Korean soldiers could join the war.

Last week (late October), the United States Department of Defense said that up to 10,000 North Korean soldiers are undergoing training in Russia as Moscow looks to reinforce its troop strength in the nearly three-year-long war, corroborating earlier statements by Ukrainian and South Korean intelligence.

In response to the deployment, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called once again for Western countries to lift the ban on long-range missile strikes into Russian territory, in this case for preemptive attacks against camps housing North Korean soldiers.

By Khagan Isayev