S. Korean, EU leaders condemn illegal military cooperation between N. Korea, Russia
President Lee Jae Myung, center, poses for a photo with Ursula von der Leyen, right, president of the European Commission, and Antonio Costa, president of the European Council, during their summit in Brussels, Wednesday. Yonhap
BRUSSELS — South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and leaders of the European Union (EU) on Wednesday strongly condemned military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, calling it illegal and a factor enabling Russia to continue its war on Ukraine.
The condemnation came in a joint statement adopted during Lee's summit talks with Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, and Antonio Luis Santos da Costa, president of the European Council, held at the EU headquarters in Brussels.
The two sides condemned assistance by third parties, especially North Korea, that they said enables Russia to continue its aggression against Ukraine, according to the joint statement.
"We strongly condemn Russia-DPRK illegal military cooperation," the joint statement said. DPRK stands for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
"We urge Russia and the DPRK to immediately cease all such activities and abide by the United Nations Charter and all relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions," it added.
The leaders also expressed "grave concerns" over North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.
The leaders urged North Korea to promptly return to full compliance with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and a safeguard agreement under the International Atomic Energy Agency.
"The DPRK will never be accepted as a nuclear-weapon state under the NPT or have any other special status in that regard," the joint statement said, calling on all U.N. members to implement sanctions against the country.
The two sides also reaffirmed their commitment to peace and security on the Korean Peninsula, while stressing the importance of improving human rights conditions in North Korea.
Regarding China and Taiwan, Lee and the EU leaders reaffirmed their "support for the freedom of navigation and overflight, including in the South China Sea, in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea."
"We stress the importance of preserving peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and oppose unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the Indo-Pacific," the leaders said in their statement.
Additionally, they stressed the importance of freedom of navigation and the unimpeded passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, as well as the need to observe relevant international laws.
In a subsequent joint press announcement, Lee announced an agreement signed with the EU to launch negotiations for a bilateral information security pact as part of efforts to boost security and defense cooperation.
"In order to strengthen security and defense cooperation, the two sides agreed to launch negotiations for an agreement on the protection of classified information," Lee said.
"The security of the Indo-Pacific and Europe is increasingly interconnected amid growing uncertainties surrounding the international order," he said of the need for an information security pact.
The president added that he hopes the two sides will be able to safely exchange sensitive information, and actively pursue industrial and research cooperation under the envisioned agreement.
Lee said he and the EU leaders also signed a digital trade agreement aimed at boosting cooperation in digital trade, while enhancing protection for online consumers and cybersecurity.
South Korea's e-commerce-related exports to the EU reached $84.5 million in 2024, up from about $10.5 million in 2019.
The two sides also agreed to strengthen their economic cooperation, according to the joint press announcement.
"We underscore the importance of further deepening our bilateral cooperation in areas of strategic importance for our economies, notably, trade, investment, supply chains, digital, advanced technologies, energy and innovation," it said.
To that end, the two sides agreed to establish high-level economic dialogue to deepen cooperation on economic security, trade and industrial policy, it added.