Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul on Monday underscored the need for South Korea and Britain to work more closely to address common security challenges, including North Korea’s deployment of troops to fight Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Cho made the point at the start of his talks with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy in Seoul, saying the current security landscapes in Europe and the Indo-Pacific are increasingly becoming interconnected.

“In a geopolitical landscape where the security of Europe and the Indo-Pacific are increasingly intertwined by the day, as illustrated by the recent developments on the Korean Peninsula and in Ukraine, including the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia, we must work together as trusted partners bound by shared values,” Cho said in the opening remarks.

South Korea’s spy agency confirmed last week that the North sent 1,500 soldiers to Russia’s Far East earlier this month to fight in Russia’s war in Ukraine and is preparing to send more troops.

The latest development adds
to the concerns over the expanding military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, especially after the two isolated states signed a treaty committing them to mutual military aid in case either is attacked.

On South Korea’s bilateral relations with Britain, Cho noted the efforts by the two sides to further enhance the ties across many fields, from diplomacy, economy and climate change to artificial intelligence, hoping that the partnership will continue to move forward.

Lammy called South Korea a country that “shares the past and future” with Britain, referring to his country’s participation in the 1950-53 Korean War, and hoped for the continued development in the bilateral relations.

“I’m very pleased to continue to build on our important global strategic partnership and to be here in person with you at this time,” Lammy said.

Lammy, who took office as the top British diplomat in July, was visiting South Korea as part of his two-nation swing that also took him to Indonesia to attend the inauguration
of President-elect Prabowo Subianto.

Ahead of Monday’s talks, Lammy visited the truce village of Panmunjom where troops from South and North Korea stand face-to-face, along the Military Demarcation Line.

Source: Yonhap News Agency