NK News
Andrei Rudenko, the deputy foreign minister of Russia, met with officials on Friday in South Korea for a discussion about bilateral relations and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The visit takes place at a time when rhetoric around North Korea’s nuclear weapons has been more intense between the two nations.
Chung Byung-won, Rudenko’s counterpart from South Korea, conveyed Seoul’s “grave position” on Moscow’s increasing military cooperation with Pyongyang during the meeting. The foreign ministry in Seoul released a statement stating that the South Korean official asked Russia to adopt “responsible actions” given the rising tensions on the Korean peninsula.
This diplomatic discussion comes after Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, claimed that the “brazen policy” of the U.S. and its allies, such as South Korea and Japan, was to blame for the region’s increased tensions.
In reaction to Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea characterising North Korea as the sole nation in the world having enacted legislation authorising the preemptive use of nuclear weapons, Zakharova made her comments. She characterised Yoon’s remarks as “blatantly biassed” and claimed Seoul seemed blind to the shifting geopolitical environment across the world, raising the possibility that it will be used as a “bargaining chip” in Washington’s schemes.
The Russian ambassador, Georgy Zinoviev, was called by Seoul’s foreign ministry on Saturday in response to Zakharova’s remarks, expressing disapproval of their “rude, ignorant” nature.
There has been noticeable progress in relations between Russia and North Korea following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. North Korea is purportedly transferring weaponry to Russia to help its war effort, as claimed by South Korea and the US. Additionally, this year, North Korea proclaimed the South to be its “principal enemy” and threatened to go to war over even the smallest territorial violation.
Concerns have been expressed by analysts that North Korea might be testing cruise missiles that might be used in Ukraine. The fact that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made a rare trip to Russia in September 2023 and met with President Vladimir Putin lends credence to this idea. Putin is now anticipated to travel to Pyongyang in retaliation for the visit.