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🇸🇬 Singapore /Culture & Society

North Korea protests against Seoul-EU rebuke of Russia ties

From The Straits Times · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News From a news agency New plan
  • North Korea condemned a joint statement by South Korea and the European Union criticizing its military cooperation with Russia.
  • Pyongyang asserted that its cooperation with Moscow is an exercise of sovereign rights and called the statement a hostile act.
  • The North Korean Foreign Ministry reiterated its stance that South Korea is its primary enemy state.

North Korea fiercely denounced a joint statement issued by South Korea and the European Union that condemned Pyongyang's military ties with Russia amid the ongoing Ukraine war. The statement, adopted on June 10 during South Korean President Lee Jae-myung's visit to Brussels, decried the "illegal military cooperation" between Pyongyang and Moscow.

We condemn support by third parties, in particular the DPRK, which enables Russia to sustain its war of aggression against Ukraine.

— Joint statement by South Korea and the European UnionCondemning North Korea's military support for Russia's war in Ukraine.

In response, North Korea's Foreign Ministry declared that its cooperation with Russia is a legitimate "exercise of sovereign rights." The ministry characterized the joint statement as a "clear infringement on the sovereignty of our state and a grave hostile act." The official Korean Central News Agency carried the ministry's statement, which also reaffirmed South Korea as the North's primary "enemy state."

We condemn support by third parties, in particular the DPRK, which enables Russia to sustain its war of aggression against Ukraine.

— Joint statement by South Korea and the European UnionCondemning North Korea's military support for Russia's war in Ukraine.

The ministry further described Seoul as Washington's "favorite dagger" in its alleged strategy to "invade... the Asian continent." This appears to be a reference to remarks made in May by General Xavier Brunson, the top U.S. military official in South Korea, who likened the host nation to "the dagger in the heart of Asia." Both North Korea and China have previously criticized Brunson's comments, viewing them as indicative of Washington's containment strategy against Beijing.

cooperation with Russia was an 'exercise of sovereign rights', and the joint statement was a 'clear infringement on the sovereignty of our state and a grave hostile act'.

— North Korea's Foreign MinistryResponding to the joint statement by South Korea and the EU.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has significantly strengthened an alliance with Russian President Vladimir Putin, providing troops and munitions to support Moscow's war effort in Ukraine. Recently, Kim hosted Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Pyongyang, following summits Xi held in Beijing with U.S. President Donald Trump and Putin.

Seoul as Washington’s 'favourite dagger' in its alleged aim of 'invading... the Asian continent'.

— North Korea's Foreign MinistryDescribing South Korea's role in U.S. strategy.
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Originally published by The Straits Times. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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