South Korea and the EU are concerned about Russia’s technology transfer in exchange for North Korean troops

Kim Hyun Jin and Kim Tong Hyun
| Associated Press

Seoul, South Korea — South Korea and the European Union on Monday strongly condemned reports North Korea was sending troops to help Russia in its war against Ukraine and expressed concern that Russia could reward North Korea with the transfer of sensitive technology to expand its nuclear and missile programs.

North Korea’s troop deployment, confirmed by the United States and NATO, threatens to widen the nearly three-year war and raises security concerns in South Korea and elsewhere about what Russia might give North Korea in return.

Following the meeting in Seoul, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell issued a joint statement condemning North Korea’s deployment “in the strongest terms” and expressing concern about Russia’s possible supply of materials and technology to North Korea. in support of their military goals.

“We are also deeply concerned about the possibility of any transfer of nuclear or ballistic missile-related technology to the DPRK, which would jeopardize international nuclear nonproliferation efforts and jeopardize peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and throughout the world,” the minister said. the statement says. DPRK stands for Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the official name of North Korea.

Cho and Borrell called North Korea’s deployment a “blatant” violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions and called on North Korea and Russia to immediately withdraw troops from Russia.

Earlier on Monday, Borrell met with South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and they agreed to work together with the international community to try to impede Russian-North Korean security cooperation, according to a statement from the South Korean Defense Ministry.

North Korea and Russia have not confirmed the explicit deployment of North Korean troops. But they both maintain that their military cooperation complies with international law.

The US government said about 8,000 North Korean troops are in Russia near the border with Ukraine and are preparing to join Russia’s fight against Ukraine in the coming days. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on allies to stop simply “observing” and take action before North Korean troops stationed in Russia take to the battlefield.

U.S., South Korean, and Ukrainian intelligence estimates indicate that North Korea has deployed a total of about 10,000–12,000 troops to Russia. If they fight against Ukrainian forces, it would be North Korea’s first involvement in a large-scale conflict since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has used the Russia-Ukraine war as a way to expand defense and economic cooperation with Russia in the face of an intensifying US-led pressure campaign against his advancing nuclear program. The United States, South Korea and others accuse North Korea of already exporting artillery shells, missiles and other conventional weapons to Russia.

In addition to Russia’s possible transfer of weapons technology, South Korean officials are also concerned that Moscow might offer defense commitments to North Korea in the event of war on the Korean Peninsula. North Korean troops in Russia could also gain valuable combat experience and receive Russian assistance in modernizing their aging conventional weapons systems.

Over the past two years, Kim has increased the pace of testing nuclear-capable missile systems as Russia and China have repeatedly blocked U.S.-led attempts to tighten international sanctions on North Korea over its testing activities in defiance of U.N. bans. Last week, North Korea test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile intended to attack the U.S. mainland for the first time in nearly a year.

North Korea is also pushing to sever ties and abandon its long-held goal of reconciliation with South Korea.

At a briefing for local media on Monday, the South Korean military said North Korea had built anti-tank trench installations at two sites near Korea’s heavily armed border, where it had blasted northern portions of unused cross-border roads and railways. routes last month as a sign of anger towards South Korea.

According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in a military situation the North could easily fill the trenches with piles of earth nearby to pave the way for an invasion of the South.

Details of the briefing were provided to The Associated Press.