On the 20th, the foreign ministers of South Korea and the United States denounced the military alliance treaty between North Korea and Russia as a serious threat.
Foreign Minister Cho Tae Yul engaged in a phone discussion with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in New York where he attended an official meeting of the UN Security Council to address countermeasures against the closeness between North Korea and Russia.
They also affirmed, “Building on the strong South Korea-U.S. alliance against North Korea’s provocations and destabilizing actions, we will maintain continuous coordination.”
They added, “We are committed to strengthening the expanded deterrence of the South Korea-U.S. alliance to address North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats, along with strengthening trilateral security cooperation with Japan.”
Cho pointed out that all cooperation aiding North Korea’s military enhancement violates Security Council resolutions. He proposed, “Let’s cooperate closely to guide a strong international response.”
He then elaborated on the actions outlined by Chang Ho Jin, Chief of the National Security Office, at the Presidential Office in Yongsan the day before. It included independent sanctions against North Korea and a new classification of Russian export control items. Jang also disclosed a reassessment of military aid to Ukraine alongside sanctions against North Korea and Russia.
In response, Blinken said, “The United States actively supports the just measures taken by South Korea in response to security threats, and let us resolutely respond together to any threats based on the solid South Korea-U.S. alliance,” adding, “The United States will actively review various measures to respond to the threats from Russia and North Korea to international peace and stability, including the Korean Peninsula.”
