The diplomatic and defense leaders of South Korea and Canada strongly condemned deepening military cooperation between North Korea and Russia and North Korea’s launch of intercontinental ballistic missiles. They expressed great concern about the North Korean military’s dispatch to Russia and called for its immediate withdrawal. Reporter Cho Sang-jin reports.
South Korea’s Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yeol and Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, Canada’s Foreign Minister Melanie Jolie and Defense Minister Bill Blair held the first foreign affairs-defense (2+2) ministerial meeting in Ottawa, Canada on the 1st, and discussed the recent intensifying military relationship between North Korea and Russia. Cooperation was criticized.
In a joint statement adopted immediately after the meeting, the ministers of the two countries said, “We condemn in the strongest possible terms North Korea’s strengthening of military cooperation with Russia, which violates numerous UN Security Council resolutions.”
[공동성명] “We condemn in the strongest possible terms North Korea’s deepening military cooperation with Russia in violation of multiple United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions, including the provision of millions of rounds of ammunition and ballistic missiles to support Russia’s brutal and unjustifiable war of aggression in Ukraine. We are closely monitoring what Russia provides North Korea in return for weapons and military personnel, including Russia’s possible provision of sensitive technology to advance North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ballistic missile programs.”
“This includes providing millions of rounds of ammunition and ballistic missiles to support Russia’s cruel and unjust war of aggression against Ukraine,” he said.
“We are closely monitoring Russia’s provision of weapons and troops to North Korea in exchange, including the possibility that Russia may provide sensitive technology to advance North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs,” he said. .
“Concerns about sending North Korean troops… “Withdraw immediately.”
The two ministers also expressed serious concern about the large-scale deployment of North Korean troops in Russia, saying, “This is a significant escalation of tensions that could affect the security and stability of Europe and the Indo-Pacific region.”
[공동성명] “We are gravely concerned that large numbers of North Korean soldiers have been deployed to Russia, which is a significant escalation with dangerous implications for security and stability in Europe and the Indo-Pacific region. We call on North Korea and Russia to immediately cease these unlawful and destabilizing activities and to withdraw North Korean troops from Russia. Recognizing that the security of the Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic regions are increasingly interconnected, we commit to actively pursuing further measures together with the international community.”
He urged both countries to immediately stop these illegal and destabilizing activities and withdraw North Korean troops from Russia.
We also recognize that the security of the Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic regions are increasingly interconnected, and pledged to actively pursue additional measures together with the international community.
“Condemn North Korea’s ICBM launch… “We must stop destabilizing behavior.”
South Korea and Canada also criticized North Korea’s recent provocation by test-firing the Hwasong-19 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
The two ministers said, “We condemn North Korea’s nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs and its continued missile launches, including the ICBM test on the 31st of last month,” and pointed out, “This launch violates multiple UN Security Council resolutions and international law.” .
[공동성명] “We condemn North Korea’s nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ballistic missile programs, and continued missile launches, including its intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test on October 31 (local time), which threatens peace and stability in the region and across the globe, are in violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs) and international law. It only demonstrates that North Korea continues to prioritize its unlawful WMD and ballistic missile programs over the well-being of its people, and we call on North Korea to cease its destabilizing actions. We reaffirm that any further nuclear test by North Korea would be met with a strong and resolute response from the international community. We continue to call for the complete, verifiable, and irreversible dismantlement of North Korea’s WMDs.
“Such actions only show that North Korea continues to prioritize its illegal weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs over the safety of its people,” the two ministers said, once again urging North Korea to stop its destabilizing actions.
He also pointed out the possibility of additional nuclear tests by North Korea and warned, “We will face a strong and resolute response from the international community.”
“Committed to monitoring North Korea sanctions evasion”
At this meeting, the two countries also repeatedly emphasized joint efforts to prevent North Korea from evading sanctions.
South Korea and Canada remain committed to multilateral sanctions monitoring efforts, and Canada will continue to provide assets through the Canadian Forces’ Operation Neon.
He also welcomed the launch of the multilateral sanctions monitoring team last month and emphasized, “We will reaffirm our goal of supporting the implementation of sanctions against North Korea by all UN member states by disclosing information on sanctions violations and evasion attempts.”
The two ministers emphasized that North Korea’s human rights situation is intrinsically linked to international peace and security, and urged North Korea to fully and constructively engage with the international community, including at the upcoming UN Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review (UPR).
He said, “South Korea and Canada will actively promote and protect human rights in the Indo-Pacific region, including North Korea, and around the world, and will work together to hold people accountable for human rights violations.”
In addition, the two countries emphasized that they are Indo-Pacific partners and partners in security and defense, and agreed to advance cooperation in various fields to strengthen bilateral cooperation.
“Agreement to hold 2+2 every other year and strengthen bilateral training”
In particular, they agreed to hold a 2+2 ministerial meeting every two years and launch an Indo-Pacific dialogue between the two countries, where the two countries’ Indo-Pacific envoys will seek joint action on common regional priorities, including the North Pacific.
They also announced that they agreed to regularize the two countries’ army staff meetings and strengthen bilateral and multilateral training. They also agreed to hold the 3rd Defense Materials Joint Committee next year to expand opportunities for defense industry cooperation and to hold bilateral cyber policy consultations.
South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau previously announced that the relationship between the two countries would be upgraded to a ‘comprehensive strategic partnership’ in 2022, and agreed to strengthen cooperation in various fields including the economy, security, and diplomacy.
Later, in February of this year, Canadian Foreign Minister Jolie and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yong met at the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and agreed to hold a high-level diplomacy and defense (2+2) meeting.
Canada is the third country where Korea has held a foreign and defense (2+2) ministerial meeting with the United States and Australia.
This is Cho Sang-jin of VOA News.
