S. Korea Raises Concern over N. Korea-Russia Military Cooperation

South Korea has voiced concern over the military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, demanding that Pyongyang and Moscow should seek cooperation while complying with relevant UN Security Council resolutions, amid the impending visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Pyongyang. "It is our government's stance that exchanges and cooperation between Russia and North Korea should be conducted in a way that contributes to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula while complying with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions," South Korea's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lim Soo-suk said in a briefing, reported by Yonhap News Agency. North Korea and Russia have been bolstering military ties and expanding the scope of cooperation in various fields following the summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Putin in Russia's Far East in September last year. Lim mentioned that the Seoul government is closely monitoring Putin's impending visit, but refrained from commenting further on the exac t schedule or the nature of the relationship between the North and Russia. Notably, he said the Seoul government has raised concerns with Moscow officially and through diplomatic channels over deepening Russia-North Korea military ties, especially after the launch of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. "We are maintaining communication with Russia regarding issues related to the Korean Peninsula," Lim said without further elaborating. Source: Qatar News Agency