Seoul Security Adviser Warns Russia’s Partnership with North Korea Could Cross “Red Line”
A South Korean national security adviser, Chang Ho-jin, has expressed concerns over Russia’s strategic partnership agreement with North Korea, warning that providing precision weaponry to Pyongyang could lead to Seoul reconsidering its stance on sending lethal military aid to Ukraine. Chang emphasized that any assistance from Russia to North Korea that enhances its military capabilities would violate the UN Security Council’s regulations.
In a recent interview, Chang highlighted the potential consequences of Russia supplying “high-precision weapons” to North Korea, indicating that it could strain Seoul’s relationship with Moscow. Despite being a close ally of the US, South Korea has refrained from escalating tensions with Russia by only offering non-lethal aid to Ukraine post the conflict in 2022.
Chang stressed the importance of Russia’s actions in maintaining a positive relationship with South Korea and urged Moscow to consider its decisions carefully to avoid jeopardizing future ties between the two nations. Russian President Putin assured South Korea that the partnership with Pyongyang poses no threat as long as there is no aggression against North Korea and cautioned against Seoul sending weapons to Ukraine to avoid negative repercussions.