South Korea expressed concerns on Wednesday following reports that North Korea intends to send hundreds of military construction workers to Russia to help its war in Ukraine.
According to Russian media sources, the North would dispatch 5,000 military construction workers and 1,000 sappers to Russia’s Kursk region indicating a further strengthening of their military alliance.
Seoul’s foreign ministry expressed great worry, urging Pyongyang to stop such measures immediately.
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“We express deep concern over the continuing illegal cooperation between North Korea and Russia,” a ministry official said.
“We urge the North to stop such actions immediately.”
“The accepting and hiring of North Korean workers abroad is a clear violation of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions. Cooperation between North Korea and Russia must fully comply with UNSC resolutions and international law, and should not pose a threat to peace and security on the Korean Peninsula or around the world,” the official added.
The declaration came as Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu visited North Korea’s capital on a special mission from Russian President Vladimir Putin and met with Kim earlier in the day, as the two countries prepare to commemorate the first anniversary of their mutual defense treaty.
