South Korea says it will ‘firmly respond’ to any threats following North Korea-Russia deal

He criticizes that the pact addresses cooperation at the level of military technology and says that it violates UN resolutions

June 20 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The Government of South Korea warned this Thursday that it “will respond firmly” to any action that “threatens its security” and has criticized the signing of a new agreement signed between Russia and North Korea, which includes a pact on cooperation at the national level. of military technology.

The spokesperson for the South Korean Foreign Ministry, Lim Soo Suk, stressed that Seoul “will respond firmly to any action that threatens our security by working with the international community, including allies and friendly nations,” before announcing that the Government will soon announce its official position. on the content of the agreement between Moscow and Pyongyang.

“We regret that, despite repeated warnings from the international community, Russia and North Korea have signed a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty and have openly mentioned military-technological cooperation, which directly violates UN Security Council resolutions. United,” he concluded, according to the South Korean news agency Yonhap.

The agreement was signed by the president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, and the North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un, within the framework of a historic visit by the Russian leader to the Asian country, his first in 24 years. The “strategic partnership” agreement also has a mutual defense clause in the event of aggression, which is a confirmation of the recent rapprochement between the parties.

This document replaces the Treaty of Mutual Assistance of 1961, the Treaty of Friendship and Good Neighborhood of 2000 and the subsequent declarations signed in 2000 and 2001, as explained by Kremlin advisor Yuri Ushakov. Both leaders took the opportunity to point out that there is a need to establish new agreements given the current evolution of geopolitical alliances at both a global and regional level.

Putin also called for “reviewing” the sanctions regime imposed by the UN against North Korea and accused the United States and South Korea of ​​causing an increase in tension by launching joint military maneuvers, while Kim maintained that the treaty signed this Wednesday is only of a “defensive” nature and there is nothing to fear.

Tensions between North and South Korea have risen in recent months as efforts to get both countries to sign a peace agreement have stalled. Pyongyang and Seoul are still technically at war, since the Korean War (1950-1953) ended with an armistice, with no definitive agreement since then.