Sept. 21 (UPI) — During his keynote address at the United Nations General Assembly, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol issued a warning that his nation and its allies would not remain passive if Russia were to provide technical assistance to North Korea for its nuclear and missile programs.
Yoon expressed this concern in his speech at the U.N. General Assembly in New York on Wednesday. His remarks came shortly after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s visit to Russia, which generated speculation about a potential weapons agreement.
Last week, the White House expressed concerns about a potential arms deal between North Korea and Russia. Intelligence indicated that Kim planned to supply Russia with artillery for the conflict in Ukraine.
Kim is also known to be seeking advanced technology for North Korea’s weapons programs, including the development of a military spy satellite.
Yoon described North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs as a direct threat to South Korea and a challenge to global peace.
“If the DPRK acquires the information and technology needed to enhance its weapons of mass destruction capabilities in exchange for supporting Russia with conventional weapons, such a deal would directly provoke us,” Yoon stated, referring to North Korea by its official acronym.
“The Republic of Korea, along with our allies and partners, will not sit idly by,” he declared.
As a response, South Korea imposed unilateral sanctions on 10 individuals and two entities involved in the illegal weapons trade between North Korea and other nations, including Russia.
The list of sanctions includes North Korean Defense Minister Kang Sun Nam and former top general Pak Su Il, according to South Korea’s foreign ministry.
Kang accompanied Kim on his visit to Russia, during which the North Korean leader held a summit with President Vladimir Putin and visited various military sites to observe advanced fighter jets, bombers, and missiles.
The Kremlin denied any military or technical cooperation agreements were made during the visit.
Yoon also echoed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s concerns about Russia. Zelensky argued that Moscow has abused its permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council and called for the removal of its veto power.
“It is paradoxical that a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council would wage war by invading another sovereign nation and receive arms and ammunition from a regime that blatantly violates Security Council resolutions,” Yoon commented.
“Given the circumstances, there is broad support to reform the U.N. Security Council,” he added.
The Russian Embassy in Seoul expressed “deep regret” over Yoon’s remarks and accused him of joining the “propaganda campaign initiated by Washington to discredit Russian-North Korean cooperation.”
In a post on its Facebook page, the embassy urged South Korea to “assess the current situation soberly and objectively, considering the negative consequences of Seoul’s continued pursuit of an anti-Russian stance.”
