Summons from South Korea Russian Envoy Regarding the Pyongyang Agreement

In protest of a defense accord that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed while in Pyongyang this week, South Korea recalled Russia’s envoy to Seoul on Friday.

In a statement, Seoul’s foreign ministry stated that it “strongly urged Russia to immediately stop military cooperation with North Korea and comply with (UN) Security Council resolutions.”

Calling in Georgy Zinoviev, the ambassador of Russia, visited two days after Kim and Putin inked a “comprehensive strategic partnership” pact that includes a promise to defend one another in the event of an attack.

This week, Putin also stated that Moscow does not exclude out providing weapons to the North or engaging in military and technological cooperation with it, both of which would be in violation of many UN sanctions against Pyongyang.

According to the foreign ministry, Seoul encouraged Russia to fulfill its obligations as a permanent member of the Security Council.

First Vice Minister Kim Hong-kyun stated in the statement, “Violating Security Council resolutions and supporting North Korea, will harm our security and inevitably have a negative impact on Korea-Russia relations.”

Since 2006, North Korea has been subject to UN sanctions because of its prohibited nuclear development. Although Russia initially backed the restrictions, Putin stated in Pyongyang that the penalties should now be reevaluated.

Since North Korea was founded following World War II, Moscow and Pyongyang have been allies, and their relationship has grown even closer after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 and isolated Putin on the international scene.

Major arms exporter Seoul announced this week that, in light of the North’s mutual defense agreement with Russia, it will “reconsider” a long-standing policy that prohibits it from sending arms directly to Ukraine.

On Thursday, Putin forewarned South Korea that doing so would be a “big mistake.”