“The government calls for the immediate withdrawal of North Korean troops,” Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Tae-hyo said in a briefing.
“If the illegal military cooperation between North Korea and Russia continues, (South Korea) will not stand by but respond firmly in collaboration with the international community,” Kim said, warning of “phased measures” in response to the level of their military ties.
Among the possible scenarios include sending defensive and offensive weapons, a senior presidential official told reporters.
In June, South Korea indicated the possibility of supplying weapons to Ukraine after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a pact pledging mutual defense. However, Seoul has so far maintained its stance of providing Ukraine with non-lethal humanitarian aid.
At the NSC meeting, top foreign affairs and security officials agreed to implement “strong” and “effective” measures in close coordination with its allies and partners, preparing
for potential scenarios and taking phased actions after assessing the security implications.
On Monday, President Yoon Suk Yeol said he will promptly dispatch a delegation to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to share information on North Korea’s troop deployment as he shared concerns with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte during their phone conversation over the deepening Pyongyang-Moscow military.
A presidential official said a team of intelligence agents and defense ministry officials will be sent to the NATO headquarters in Brussels “in a few days” to share their assessment and discuss cooperation.
The deployment of such a large contingent of North Korean troops, including its most elite military units, signals a major development in its military ties with Russia, which was previously limited to supplying artillery shells and short-range ballistic missiles.
Security experts in Seoul have expressed concerns that North Korea could receive advanced Russian technologies to further develop its
missile, nuclear and satellite capabilities in return for its troop deployment, posing a serious threat to South Korea.
Analysts also suggest that North Korea could gain valuable battlefield experience by providing weapons and troops.
South Korea vowed Tuesday to take “phased measures” against North Korea and Russia over their deepening military cooperation, and urged North Korea to immediately withdraw its troops from Russia.
The presidential National Security Council (NSC) convened a meeting to assess the situation after the National Intelligence Service reported that North Korea has decided to send around 12,000 troops to assist Russia, with approximately 1,500 soldiers already deployed to Russia’s Far East.
The NSC said the development poses a “significant security threat” to both South Korea and the international community and is a “blatant violation” of U.N. Security Council resolutions prohibiting military cooperation with North Korea
Source: Yonhap News Agency
