S. Korea, U.S., Japan strongly condemn deepening Moscow-Pyongyang ties

한미일, 러북 군사협력 "가장 강력한 용어로 규탄", 이번주 한미일 연합훈련, 북 국방성 담화로 반발

Against this backdrop, senior officials in South Korea, the U.S. and Japan released a joint statement today, condemning deepening Pyongyang-Moscow military ties "in the strongest possible terms."
Our North Korean affairs correspondent Kim Jung-sil reports.

South Korea, the U.S., and Japan have released a joint statement following the summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

South Korean Vice Foreign Minister for Strategy and Intelligence Cho Koo-rae, and his U.S. and Japanese counterparts Jung Pak, and Hiroyuki Namazu said the three countries "condemn in the strongest possible terms deepening military cooperation between the DPRK and Russia, including continued arms transfers from the DPRK to Russia that prolong the suffering of the Ukrainian people, violate multiple United Nations Security Council Resolutions, and threaten stability in both Northeast Asia and Europe."

The Washington Post reported over the weekend that North Korea likely shipped 1.6 million artillery shells of the type Russia uses in its war against Ukraine from August through January.

The statement came as the three countries also gear up to hold their first trilateral multi-domain exercise this week.
Taking part , is the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt that arrived in Busan over the weekend.

"Freedom Edge is a significant exercise because it is an opportunity to practice and cooperate between the United States, Korea and Japan with the Theodore Roosevelt , which is one of the most advanced versions of a U.S. aircraft carrier. The trilateral nations will be able to exercise all the aspects of a multi-domain operations."

North Korea has issued strong protests ahead of the drill, especially following the arrival of the Roosevelt.
On Monday, the North Korean Ministry of Defense released a statement saying that Pyongyang was witnessing "yet again the reckless choices and actions by the U.S."

It added that the U.S. and South Korea are playing a very dangerous game and taking an adventure against the North, stressing that North Korea condemns in the strongest possible terms the provocative actions
by the U.S. and South Korea, and saying it was open to all possibilities of deterrence demonstrations against Seoul and Washington.

Kim Jung-sil, Arirang News.

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2024-06-24, 18:00 (KST)