Any arms deal between North Korea, Russia would be a ‘provocation’: South Korean president

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) - Any arms deal between North Korea and Russia would be tantamount to a “direct provocation” against Seoul, the South Korean president said on Wednesday.

“It is paradoxical that a permanent member of UN Security Council … would wage war, invading another sovereign nation and receive arms and ammunition from a regime that blatantly violates UN Security Council resolutions,” Yoon Suk-Yeol said in a speech to the annual UN General Assembly in New York, referring to Russia’s war on Ukraine.

In such a situation, he added, the call to reform the UN Security Council would “receive broad support.”

Yoon said if Pyongyang “acquires information and technology necessary to enhance its WMD (weapons of mass destruction) capabilities in exchange of supporting Russia with conventional weapons, the deal will be a direct provocation, threatening peace and security of not only Ukraine but also the Republic of Korea.”

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un returned to Pyongyang on Tuesday after paying a weeklong trip to Russia.

Seoul and its allies will "not stand idly by," Yoon said, adding: "We can deter any unlawful provocation."

The South Korean president also called on member nations of the world body “to be united with United Nations at the core.”

Calling for “bridging the digital divide,” he said South Korea is planning to host a global AI forum.