South Korea, U.S., Japan condemn North for supplying arms to Russia

Diplomacy

Published: 26 Oct. 2023, 12:10 Updated: 26 Oct. 2023, 13:55

South Korea, U.S., Japan condemn North for supplying arms to Russia

From right, Foreign Minister Park Jin, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, meet in New York on Sept. 23. [YONHAP]

South Korea, the United States and Japan condemned North Korea for providing arms to Russia to aid its invasion of Ukraine.

In a joint statement on Thursday, the three countries' foreign ministers confirmed several shipments of weapons from the North to Russia, saying the arms "will significantly increase the human toll of Russia's war of aggression."

"In the face of Russia's attempt to prolong the war with assistance from the DPRK, we remain resolved to support Ukraine's sovereignty and its efforts to counter the effects of Russia's war of aggression," they said, referring to North Korea by the acronym of its full name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

The trio said they were also watching closely for any signs that Russia provided weapons to North Korea in return.

This image released by the U.S. Government on Oct. 13, reportedly shows the transfer of military equipment from North Korea to Russia. North Korea has delivered more than 1,000 containers of military equipment and munitions to Russia in recent weeks for use in Ukraine, the White House said on October 13. [AFP/YONHAP]

"We emphasize that arms transfers to or from the DPRK — as well as the transfer to the DPRK of certain items and technical cooperation related to the DPRK's weapons of mass destruction, ballistic missile, or conventional weapons programs — would violate multiple UN Security Council resolutions," they said in the statement. "Russia itself voted for the UN Security Council resolutions that contain these restrictions."

According to recent satellite intelligence, North Korea shipped around 1,000 containers of supplies — likely including artillery ammunition — after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a rare summit in the Russian Far East last month.

North Korea is one of the few countries that has expressed unequivocal support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine, with Kim offering his "full and unconditional support" to Putin's "sacred fight" against what he characterized as "hegemonic forces."

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, center, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, at the Russian spaceport Vostochny Cosmodrome on Sept. 13. [KOREAN CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY]

During his visit to Pyongyang on Oct. 18, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with Kim and thanked North Korea for backing his country's invasion of Ukraine, signaling that Moscow and Pyongyang could draw even closer during an evening reception to mark his visit.

"We are deeply concerned about the potential for any transfer of nuclear- or ballistic missile-related technology to the DPRK," said South Korea, the United States and Japan in their statement.

These transfers would "jeopardize the ongoing efforts of the international community to keep sensitive technologies out of the hands of actors who are working to destabilize regional security," they said.

Since the inauguration of the Yoon Suk Yeol government in Korea last year and a détente in relations between Korea and Japan following the Yoon administration's announcement of a Korean-funded plan to compensate Korean victims of Japanese wartime forced labor, leaders in Seoul, Washington and Japan have worked closer together to counter threats in the region.

BY ESTHER CHUNG [chung.juhee@joongang.co.kr]