The security agreement between North Korea and Russia, according to Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, is destabilising the region.
The foreign minister added that North Korea was providing weaponry to Russia in “flagrant violation” of UN Security Council resolutions.
Wong spoke to reporters on Tuesday in Paju after visiting the adjacent Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that separates the two Koreas, which are still formally at war.
She said “We see Russia behaving in ways that are not conducive to peace but escalatory”.
Under the pact, North Korea and Russia agreed to provide immediate military assistance if either faces armed aggression.
Washington and its allies are also alarmed by the deepening military cooperation between Russia and North Korea and have accused both nations of breaching international laws by trading in weapons for Russia to use against Ukraine.
Pyongyang and Moscow have denied conducting any arms transactions.
Meanwhile, during a meeting with Wong, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul raised concern about North Korea and Russia’s military cooperation, according to the Seoul Foreign Ministry.
South Korea and Australia will also initiate an economic security dialogue and have yearly climate discussions, according to a ministry statement.
Wong arrived in Seoul after attending summits in Laos at a gathering of the ASEAN bloc and joining a meeting of Quad foreign ministers in Tokyo on Monday with counterparts from the United States, Japan, and India.
In a statement ahead of her trip, Wong said Australia and South Korea aim to build on their strategic alignment with expanded bilateral and regional cooperation, including on energy transition and economic security.
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