The US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken stated today that he shares in concerns of South Korea on the enhanced military cooperation between North Korea and Russia.
Blinken and South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin also discussed each other cooperation to implement the so-called extended deterrence strategy to counter threats from North Korea and further strategic cooperation with Japan. “In terms of Russia’s possible support for the DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, North Korea’s official name) that is something we are watching very, very closely,” Blinken told a news conference in the South Korean capital. . “We have real concerns about any support for North Korea’s ballistic missile programs, its nuclear technology, its space launch capabilities,” he said. “We are working … to identify, uncover and properly address these efforts.”
According to APE-MPE the USA, South Korea and Japan have condemned what they say it is flow of weapons and military equipment from North Korea to Russia, saying cargo transfers from the isolated state to Russia are proof of that. North Korea and Russia have denied any arms deals, although their leaders pledged closer military cooperation when they met in September in the Russian Far East.
Blinken described this relationship as “two-way.” North Korea offers military equipment to Russia to use in its war with Ukraine while Russia in turn offers technical support to help North Korea make progress militarily, he said.
Blinken arrived in South Korea yesterday from Japan. He also said the US and its allies in East Asia are stepping up cooperation on North Korea, which is developing its nuclear weapons and missiles, in defiance of UN Security Council resolutions. “Already our three countries are taking steps to improve our joint response through real-time sharing of missile warning data, trilateral defense exercises and efforts to counter the DPRK’s malicious cyber activities,” Blinken said.
Park said China has a constructive role to play in dealing with tensions between North Korea and Russia, saying they are not in Beijing’s interest. Park also said after his meeting with Blinken that the two foreign ministers call on North Korea to cancel spy satellite launch plan. North Korea is preparing to launch a spy satellite after failing twice this year to put one into orbit. South Korea said last week that North Korea is in the final stages of preparing for a launch after apparently receiving technical assistance from Russia.
The war between Israel and Hamas was also discussed during Blinken’s meetings with high-ranking South Korean officials today, most notably President Suk-yeol. The head of American diplomacy thanked him for the “commitment of the Republic of Korea to provide humanitarian assistance to the citizens of Gaza.” Earlier today, he met with National Security Adviser Cho Tae-yong, hailing Seoul’s commitment to help Ukraine. The two officials condemned Pyongyang’s shipment of weapons to Russia to support its war effort.
Blinken’s two-day visit to South Korea is the first by an American secretary of state in two and a half years and is part of his wider tour of Asia which will also include a stop in India. Before visiting Japan he was in the Middle East.
Source: News Beast
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