North Korea is a quite large nuclear power.[1]At the same time, it is challenging the United States (USA) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) with its Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) and nuclear tests. [2]
On the other hand, North Korea is gaining an advantageous position in the global system due to both China-US competition and the Russia-Ukraine War. [3] Because there are various problems that Washington and NATO should spend their resources and energy on.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol made a speech on these crises at the annual high-level United Nations (UN) General Assembly on September 20, 2023.[4]
Yoon said that if Russia helps North Korea develop its weapons programs in exchange for assistance to the war in Ukraine, it would be a “direct provocation”. More importantly, the South Korean leader has expressed that they will not be indifferent to this. Yoon stated that such a scenario would threaten the peace and security not only of Ukraine, but also of South Korea. [5]
It is noteworthy that Yoon made these comments as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un returned to Pyongyang from a six-day trip to Russia, his longest foreign trip as president. As a matter of fact, during Kim’s visit, the two countries discussed strengthening defense ties, but any specific steps were not announced to the media. [6]
In his speech to the UN General Assembly, Yoon said that North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs are not only an existential threat to South Korea, but also a serious challenge to peace in the Indo-Pacific region and around the world.[7] Yoon used the following statements in his speech:[8]
“It is contradictory for a permanent member of the UN Security Council (UNSC), appointed as the ultimate guardian of world peace, to start a war by invading another sovereign country and receiving weapons and ammunition from a regime that openly violates UNSC resolutions. If North Korea obtains the necessary knowledge and technology to develop weapons of mass destruction capabilities in exchange for supporting Russia with conventional weapons, the agreement will be a direct provocation and threaten the peace and security not only of Ukraine, but also of the Republic of Korea.
Seoul and Washington have been expressing concerns that Russia may try to buy ammunition from North Korea to supplement its dwindling stocks due to the war in Ukraine. Pyongyang, on the other hand, is seeking technological assistance for its nuclear and missile programs.
All kinds of activities that help North Korea’s weapons programs are prohibited under UNSC resolutions. Putin, on the other hand, has said that Russia, one of the five permanent members of the UNSC, has not and will not commit any violations. [9]
On September 20, 2023, Dec South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Chang Ho-jin, in a meeting with the Russian Ambassador summoned to the ministry, warned that there would be “clear consequences” of a possible arms deal between Moscow and Pyongyang.
South Korean senior diplomat Chang Ho-jin stated that ”Russia strongly demands that it immediately cease military cooperation with North Korea and comply with United Nations (UN) Security Council resolutions.”[10] “It seems that South Korea will go down the path of getting more support from actors such as the United States and Japan due to these threats.
[1] “Is It Time to Accept North Korea is A Nuclear Power?”, CNN, https://edition.cnn.com/2022/10/28/asia/north-korea-nuclear-threat-solution-analysis-intl-hnk/index.html, (Erişim Tarihi: 21.07.2023).
[2] “North Korea Resumes Launching Missile Tests. How Worried Should We Be?”, Time, https://time.com/6266737/north-korea-ballistic-missile-tests-2023/, (Erişim Tarihi: 21.07.2023).
[3] “Russia-Ukraine War Live Updates: Russian Missiles Strike Zelenskyy’s Hometown”, Australian Broadcasting Corportaion News, https://abcnews.go.com/International/live-updates/russia-ukraine-war/?id=99926452 (Erişim Tarihi: 01.06.2023).
[4] “S Korea’s Yoon Tells UN that RUSSİA Helping N Korea Would be ‘Provocation’”, Al Jazeera, https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/south-koreas-yoon-highlight-illicit-nkorea-russia-military-ties-un-2023-09-20/, (Erişim Tarihi: 21.09.2023).
[5] Aynı yer.
[6] “South Korea’s Yoon tells UN that Russia Helping North Korea Would be ‘Direct Provocation”, Reuters, https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/south-koreas-yoon-highlight-illicit-nkorea-russia-military-ties-un-2023-09-20/, (Erişim Tarihi: 21.09.2023).
[7] “Russian Military aid to North Korea Would be ‘Direct Provocation,’ Yoon Tells UN”, NK News, https://www.nknews.org/2023/09/russian-military-aid-to-north-korea-would-be-direct-provocation-yoon-tells-un/, (Erişim Tarihi: 21.09.2023).
[8] “N. Korea-Russia Military Deal Would Constitute “Direct Provocation” against S. Korea, Says Yoon”, HANKYOREH, https://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/1109543.html, (Erişim Tarihi: 21.09.2023).
[11] “S Korea’s Yoon Tells UN that RUSSİA Helping N Korea Would be ‘Provocation’”, Al Jazeera, https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/south-koreas-yoon-highlight-illicit-nkorea-russia-military-ties-un-2023-09-20/, (Erişim Tarihi: 21.09.2023).
[10] Aynı yer.
