South Korea raises alarm over weapons deals between Russia, North Korea

South Korean President, Yoon Suk Yeol has warned the United Nations about potential arms deals between neighbouring Russia and North Korea.

Should North Korea receive the necessary technology to improve its own weapons of mass destruction in exchange for deliveries of conventional weapons to Russia, this would be a “direct provocation,” Yoon said at the UN General Debate in New York.

This would threaten not only Ukraine’s security, but also South Korea’s, he said.

South Korea, “together with its allies and partners, would not stand idly by,” Yoon said.

Yoon accused North Korea of violating UN Security Council sanctions.

He alluded to Russia when he said it was paradoxical for a state that is a permanent member of UN Security Council, to invade another sovereign country.

North Korea is receiving “arms and ammunition from a regime that blatantly violates” security council resolutions, he added.

The United States and South Korea had recently expressed concern on several occasions about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s negotiations with North Korean ruler Kim Jong Un in Russia a week ago.

Putin spoke of a potential for expanding military-technical cooperation.

North Korea could supply artillery ammunition and missiles for Russia’s war against Ukraine, experts have said.

In return, a transfer of modern Russian military technologies was said to be under discussion.

Putin had said Russia would abide by existing UN Security Council.