South Korea summons Russian ambassador
South Korea has summoned the Russian ambassador in Seoul over concerns about the alleged transfer of North Korean troops to Russia to take part in the Ukraine conflict. Neither the US nor NATO have so far been able to confirm the claim.
In a statement on Monday, the embassy said that Ambassador Georgy Zinovyev had received an invitation to the South Korean Foreign Ministry where he met with First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun.
During the conversation, Kim conveyed the “position of the Government of the Republic of Korea on the issue of ‘transferring North Korean military personnel to Russian territory for further participation in hostilities in Ukraine’,” the embassy said.
In response, Zinovyev stressed that cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang is “carried out within the framework of international law and is not directed against [South Korean] security interests.” He added that Moscow and Seoul have diverging views regarding the cause of rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
Officials in Seoul have confirmed the meeting, saying that Kim voiced South Korea’s “grave stance” and “strongly called for the immediate withdrawal of North Korean troops and [to] stop relevant cooperation” with Pyongyang. Kim also condemned what he called “the illegal military cooperation” between North Korea and Russia and warned that “South Korea will respond with every possible means” if it does not stop.
Commenting on the allegation that DPRK troops have been deployed to the conflict zone, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was an issue under the purview of the Defense Ministry. North Korea, he added, is Russia’s “close neighbor… we are developing relations in all areas,” he stressed.
“This is our sovereign right, and no one should be worried, because cooperation is not directed against third countries… We see a lot of contradictory information. The South Koreans say one thing, the Pentagon says there is no confirmation [of the North Korean deployment],” he added. Peskov earlier dismissed speculation that the North Korean military was taking part in hostilities as a “bogus story.”
On Saturday, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin acknowledged that he could not confirm reports that Pyongyang had sent troops to Russia, but that it would be worrisome if true. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte also said he could not confirm reports that the North Korean military is actively engaged in hostilities.
In June, Russia and North Korea signed a treaty upgrading the countries’ relations to a “comprehensive strategic partnership,” stipulating that if one side is invaded, the other “shall provide military and other assistance with all means in its possession without delay.” The document has yet to be ratified by the Russian parliament.
