Yoon calls for international solidarity against N. Korea-Russia military cooperation

President Yoon Suk Yeol condemned Friday the growing military cooperation between North Korea and Russia and called for the international community to unite against the North's nuclear development and provocations. Yoon addressed concerns over North Korean threats during the East Asia Summit in Vientiane, as concerns rise over Pyongyang's potential provocations, like a nuclear test ahead of the U.S. presidential election next month. "The illegal military cooperation between Russia and North Korea is prolonging the war in Ukraine and directly challenging U.N. Security Council resolutions," the presidential office quoted him as saying in a summary of his remarks. "It is crucial to strengthen international solidarity to uphold a rules-based international order," he said. President Yoon Suk Yeol attends the East Asia Summit held at the National Convention Center in Vientiane, Laos, on Oct. 11, 2024. (Yonhap) President Yoon Suk Yeol attends the East Asia Summit held at the National Convention Center in Vient iane, Laos, on Oct. 11, 2024. (Yonhap) South Korea has accused North Korea of supplying arms to Russia for its war in Ukraine, raising concerns that Russia may, in return, provide military technology to North Korea to advance its missile and nuclear programs. The annual summit was attended by leaders and top diplomats from the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, as well as the United States, Russia and China. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and Chinese Premier Li Qiang were present on behalf of their countries' leaders. Yoon criticized the Pyongyang regime for suppressing its own people and threatening South Korea with nuclear weapons, drawing support for his unification doctrine that pursues a free, unified Korean Peninsula. "To achieve a free, peaceful, and prosperous Indo-Pacific, North Korea's denuclearization is essential," Yoon said. "The international community must clearly demonstrate that it will never tolerate North Korea's nu clear development and provocations." President Yoon Suk Yeol (L) speaks with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (R) during the East Asia Summit held at the National Convention Center in Vientiane, Laos, on Oct. 11, 2024. (Yonhap) President Yoon Suk Yeol (L) speaks with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (R) during the East Asia Summit held at the National Convention Center in Vientiane, Laos, on Oct. 11, 2024. (Yonhap) During the annual summit, the president outlined South Korea's positions on key global issues, including tensions in the South China Sea, the ongoing crisis in Myanmar and the war in Ukraine. Yoon advocated protection of "freedom of shipping and navigation" in the South China Sea in line with the international laws, amid escalating tension between China and the Philippines in recent months. On Myanmar, he voiced support for dialogue to end the violence in Myanmar and pledged US$23 million in humanitarian aid this year, about a fourfold increase from the previous year, to help resol ve the crisis. Yoon reiterated South Korea's commitment to supporting Ukraine, promising expanded security, humanitarian assistance, and reconstruction efforts in close coordination with the international community. Source: Yonhap News Agency