South Korea says it won't sit idly by if Russia transfers missile technology to North Korea

Hàn Quốc nói không ngồi yên nếu Nga giao công nghệ tên lửa cho Triều Tiên - 1 — South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin at an event in Seoul on October 13 (Photo: Yonhap).

Foreign Minister Park Jin said "yes" when asked by a lawmaker whether South Korea would retaliate if Russia transfers missile or weapons technology to North Korea. However, Park did not specify what actions South Korea would take.

The US previously accused Pyongyang of sending more than 1,000 containers of military equipment and ammunition to Moscow, following a rare summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin in September.

Park's comments came a day after South Korea, the United States and Japan issued a joint statement strongly condemning "arms trade" between Russia and North Korea for violating UN Security Council resolutions. The joint statement confirmed that some of the weapons shipments had been completed.

On social media, the British Ministry of Defense also stated that it was "almost certain" that North Korean ammunition had reached western Russia for use in the conflict in Ukraine.

Mr Park refused to confirm the US disclosure about the weapons shipments, citing sensitive intelligence information, but said there were "many suspicious circumstances".

North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui has reacted sharply to a joint statement by the foreign ministers of the United States, Japan and South Korea condemning North Korea for supplying weapons and ammunition to Russia.

A North Korean diplomat called the recent joint statement by the three countries of the United States, Japan and South Korea "the most politicized document, seriously distorting the friendly and cooperative relations" between North Korea and Russia.

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov denied Washington's information about North Korea sending weapons to Russia, calling it "baseless rumors."

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