South Korea denounces North Korean troops in Russia, calls out international law violations

Yonhap reported the information.

A spokesperson for South Korea’s Ministry of Defense, Jeon Ha-kyu, said that military cooperation between Russia and North Korea is “a mockery of international law.”

"The dispatch of the North Korean troops, along with broader military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, constitutes a grave violation of international norms, including the U.N. Charter, and U.N. Security Council resolutions," he said.

This refers to UN Security Council Resolution 1718, which prohibits any transfer to North Korea of arms and military technology that could be used in the country’s weapons of mass destruction programs.

The South Korean government urged Russia and North Korea to immediately cease their illegal military cooperation, stressing that it "seriously undermines peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond, including Europe."

"We will work closely with the international community to take all necessary measures against any actions that threaten our national security," officials in Seoul emphasized.

• On Monday, April 28, North Korea officially acknowledged that units of the country's armed forces participated "in the operation to liberate the Kursk region" by order of the head of state.