Home > National > Diplomacy

Blinken says Russia plans to share 'advanced space and satellite technology' with North Korea

Published: 06 Jan. 2025, 18:10 Updated: 06 Jan. 2025, 19:54

SEO JI-EUN
[email protected]

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, right, speaks during a joint press conference with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the government complex in Seoul on Jan. 6. [KIM JONG-HO]

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken disclosed intelligence that Moscow plans to "share advanced space and satellite technology with North Korea" in remarks made during his final visit to South Korea on Monday.

Blinken's visit comes before the incoming Trump administration takes office amid growing concerns over North Korea-Russia military cooperation.

In a joint press conference in Seoul with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, Blinken also warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin "may be close to reversing a decades-long policy by Russia and accepting the DPRK’s nuclear weapons program,” referring to the North by the acronym for its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Blinken revealed that "more than 1,000 North Korean troops" deployed to fight along with Russia had been killed or wounded in the last week of December in the Kursk region. He described North Korea’s contribution of artillery, ammunition and troops as one of the “biggest ongoing drivers” enabling Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, alongside China’s support for Russia’s defense industrial base.

The Biden administration is accelerating its final support for Ukraine, anticipating potential disruptions in arms supplies after President-elect Donald Trump assumes office on Jan. 20. Blinken's disclosure of intelligence about Moscow’s technology transfers to Pyongyang appears aimed at emphasizing the importance of international vigilance, especially by South Korea, against North Korea-Russia cooperation.

Cho said the two top envoys engaged in an “in-depth exchange of views” on Pyongyang’s nuclear program and its illegal military ties with Russia.

North Korea launched a suspected hypersonic missile into the East Sea at noon Monday for the first time this year while the South Korea-U.S. foreign ministers' meeting was being held. Both ministers condemned the provocation and pledged to prepare for “any potential provocations” through a “seamless combined defense posture and strengthened extended deterrence.”

The meeting marked the first face-to-face discussion between Cho and Blinken since South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, now suspended from office, declared a short-lived martial law on Dec. 3.

Asked about Seoul’s political turmoil and Yoon's declaration of martial law, Blinken said the United States has “serious concerns about some of the actions President Yoon took,” adding that these concerns were communicated directly to the South Korean government.

What sets democracies like the U.S. and South Korea apart is their ability to "confront" challenges "openly and transparently," Blinken said, expressing "tremendous confidence" in South Korea’s resilience and adherence to constitutional and legal principles.

Cho pointed out Seoul’s unique political challenges.

“Korea was able to achieve democracy and economic growth over a very short time, ... but during that process, there were vulnerabilities that we failed to detect ourselves,” he explained.

He added that overcoming these challenges would require “concerted efforts” from politicians and intellectuals to rebuild trust and unity.

Cho’s public call for concerted efforts from politicians, viewed as unusual for a foreign minister, was interpreted as an effort to address concerns that South Korea’s political instability could harm its international standing. Cho is known to have openly opposed Yoon’s martial law imposition during a Cabinet meeting held shortly before the declaration.

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, right, shakes hands with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken after a joint press conference at the government complex in Seoul on Jan. 6. [KIM JONG-HO]

Blinken’s visit is seen as a symbolic gesture of restored stability in the South Korea-U.S. alliance, strained by Seoul’s recent political crisis.

Last month, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin canceled a planned visit to South Korea, opting to visit Japan instead.

During Monday's press conference, Blinken remarked that the visit marked the conclusion of his tenure as Secretary of State. Cho highlighted that the meeting represented the restoration of “full trust in the ROK-U.S. alliance” and a revival of their “value-based partnership,” referring to South Korea by the acronym of its official name, the Republic of Korea.

Before his formal talks with Cho, Blinken met with Korea's acting President Choi Sang-mok. After his discussions with Cho, Blinken proceeded to meet National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik.

BY SEO JI-EUN [[email protected]]