Britain and South Korea condemn North Korea

In their joint statement, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul condemned North Korea’s ongoing arms transfers and the deployment of its troops to Russia in support of the invasion of Ukraine.

The full statement reads as follows:

“We condemn in the strongest terms the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK)’s continued unlawful arms transfers and the reported deployment of its troops to the Russian Federation to support Russia’s unlawful war of aggression in Ukraine. Such cooperation between Russia and the DPRK is not only in violation of multiple UNSC resolutions, but also prolongs the suffering of the Ukrainian people and threatens global security, including those in the ROK and the UK, and demonstrates the desperation of the DPRK and Russia. We are committed to providing the support Ukraine requires to secure a just and lasting peace.”

The statement continued, highlighting concerns about Russia’s potential provision of technology and materials to North Korea:

“We are closely monitoring what Russia provides to the DPRK in return for its provision of arms and military personnel, including Russia’s possible provision of materials and technology to the DPRK in support of Pyongyang’s military objectives. We are also deeply concerned about the possibility for any transfer of nuclear or ballistic missile-related technology to the DPRK, which would jeopardise the international non-proliferation efforts and threaten peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and across the globe.”

The ministers concluded by reaffirming their commitment to monitoring and countering these developments, stating:

“We take note that the security of the Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic are more closely intertwined than ever, and commit ourselves to closely monitoring the situation and actively pursuing necessary measures together with the international community to deter further unlawful, reckless and destabilising behaviour.”