The US, South Korea and Japan have repeatedly criticised Pyongyang in recent weeks for Russian military aid, with Seoul saying North Korea had sent a million artillery shells.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Seoul following a meeting of G7 foreign ministers in Japan. On Thursday, he met with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.
According to the US State Department: they “strongly condemned the provision of military equipment and ammunition by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) to the Russian Federation.”
Blinken also thanked President Yun for the ROK’s pledge of humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza. The Asian visits by the top US diplomat follow a whirlwind tour of the Middle East to discuss the war between Israel and Hamas.
Blinken met with South Korean national security adviser Cho Tae-yong on Thursday.
The State Department reports that Antony Blinken thanked Cho for South Korea’s “commitment to assisting Ukraine.”
Historical allies Russia and North Korea are under international sanctions, the former for its involvement in the war in Ukraine and Pyongyang for its nuclear weapons and missile programmes. The rapidly developing military co-operation between these countries is a concern for Ukraine and its allies, especially after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s visit to Russia in September.
South Korean officials believe Pyongyang is providing weapons in exchange for Russian space technology to put a military spy satellite into orbit. Blinken had said in Tokyo:
“We’re deeply concerned about what Russia is providing Pyongyang in return for the weapons and munitions that it’s getting.”
Last month, the Kremlin said there was “no evidence” that North Korea was sending weapons to Russia. Benjamin A. Engel, a professor at Seoul National University, told AFP:
“Given this renewed cooperation between North Korea and Russia, South Korea understandably wants a demonstration of US support and a reaffirmed US commitment to uphold UN sanctions. This visit is designed to do that.”
Blinken will also meet with his South Korean counterpart in the afternoon. Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, told AFP:
“As conflict in the Middle East and war in Ukraine reverberate around the world, upgraded alliance cooperation must be increasingly global in scope.”
South Korea under Yoon’s rule has stepped up security co-operation with the US amid a growing threat from North Korea. This includes large-scale military exercises involving thousands of troops and strategic assets, including US long-range heavy bombers. South Korea is a major arms exporter but has a long-standing policy of not sending weapons to active conflict zones. Analysts say it will come under constant pressure from the US to reconsider this stance.
Last month, a nuclear-armed US Air Force B-52 bomber made a rare landing in South Korea, less than a week after a visit by a US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. Easley said Blinken’s visit is “further proof” of the strengthening of the bilateral alliance. US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin is also scheduled to visit South Korea this month.
