US, South Korea concerned about North Korea, Russia military cooperation, Blinken says

Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned Thursday that the United States and South Korea are concerned about alleged military cooperation between North Korea and Russia.

Blinken met with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Foreign Minister Park Jin during his trip to South Korea this week, where the leaders discussed the threat of North Korea — officially called the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) — and its alleged cooperation with Russia to provide the country with military equipment to aid in its invasion of Ukraine.

The secretary of State said the two countries share “profound concerns” about the “growing and dangerous military cooperation.”

“With regard to DPRK-Russia cooperation, this is a matter of deep concern for both of us as well as for other countries around the world, and we’re seeing a two-way street,” Blinken told reporters in Seoul during his visit.

South Korea has warned that Russia is likely being supplied with an array of missiles and ammunition from North Korea. The White House has also said North Korea has delivered 1,000 containers of military equipment and munitions to Russia to use in its war against Ukraine. 

The Biden administration has previously condemned North Korea’s move to supply Moscow with military equipment. Concerns that the DPRK and Russia were cooperating arose after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in September.

Blinken also said the U.S. has seen Russia provide North Korea with support for its military programs. He noted he and Park spoke about how the U.S. and South Korea could “intensify pressure on Moscow not to transfer military technology to the DPRK, in violation of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions.”

“We’re seeing the DPRK provide military equipment to Russia for pursuing its aggression against Ukraine, but we’re also seeing Russia provide technology and support to the DPRK for its own military programs.,” he said.

“And that’s a real concern for the security of the Korean Peninsula, it’s a real concern for global nonproliferation regimes, it’s a real concern for the Russian aggression in Ukraine, and a real concern for its violation of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions,” Blinken added.