South Korea's Bold Warning: North Korea's Russian Allies Will Face Consequences

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol issued a stern message on Wednesday, stating that his country and its allies will take action if North Korea receives assistance from Russia to enhance its weapons of mass destruction. This warning comes shortly after the closely observed summit between the leaders of the two nuclear-armed nations.

Last week, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un traveled to Russia for a meeting with President Vladimir Putin. Prior to this meeting, US officials voiced concerns that the two leaders could strike a deal enabling Moscow to obtain weapons for its conflict in Ukraine, which could, in turn, grant sanction-ridden Pyongyang access to crucial Russian technology.

South Korea, a US treaty ally, has been alarmed by this.

Yoon expressed concern about this matter during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. He emphasized the importance of countries uniting in unwavering solidarity and steadfastly adhering to principles to effectively deter any unlawful provocations.

He additionally urged for reform of the UN Security Council, of which Russia is a member, emphasizing that this action would garner significant support if Moscow were to provide Pyongyang with information in exchange for weapons.

Yoon expressed the paradox of a permanent member of the UN Security Council, responsible for safeguarding global peace, engaging in aggression by invading another independent country and acquiring arms and ammunition from a regime that openly defies UN Security Council resolutions.

He emphasized that should North Korea gain the necessary knowledge and technology to strengthen its capabilities in weapons of mass destruction, in exchange for assisting Russia with conventional weapons, this agreement would directly provoke and endanger not only Ukraine but also the Republic of Korea.

In this released image by the Korean Central News Agency of North Korea, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un engages in a conversation with Russia's President Vladimir Putin during a tour in Russia on September 13, 2023.

After their meeting in Russia, Putin and Kim, what are the key highlights?

During his speech at the UNGA, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken supported Yoon's appeal for reforming the UN Security Council while also accusing Russia of attempting to obtain weapons from North Korea.

Kims trip to see Putin was his first overseas visit since the coronavirus pandemic.

The two leaders met for five hours, holding what the Kremlin called "very substantive" discussions.

However, the details of the discussions held in private remain undisclosed, as no press conference was conducted, no official statement was released, and no agreements were publicly announced by either party, leaving a lack of information about what transpired behind closed doors. According to Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, no deals were signed by the two leaders during their negotiations.

Nonetheless, these discussions indicate a growing affinity between the two nations, each of which is confronted with worldwide seclusion. Russia's invasion of Ukraine and North Korea's possession of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles have brought about these circumstances.

Given the protracted nature of the conflict, Moscow is urgently in need of new ammunition supplies, while North Korea intensifies its weapons testing endeavors, driven by its strong desire to progress in its nuclear aspirations.