S. Korean, US foreign ministers urge China to help tame NK-Russia military ties

South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin, right, shakes hands with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken during their joint press conference at the foreign ministry in central Seoul, Thursday. Joint Press Corps

South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken shared their pledge “to identify, to counter and to expose” the military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, urging China to play its part in curbing the “dangerous and destabilizing” ties.

Park and Blinken made those pledges during a press conference after their ministerial meeting in Seoul, on the occasion of the latter’s two-day stay here. It was Blinken’s first visit to South Korea since President Yoon Suk Yeol took office in May last year.

“I believe China is not in a position to welcome the closer military cooperation and arms trade between the North and Russia,” Park said.

“With the current escalation of the European security crisis due to the war in Ukraine, additional tensions stemming from North Korea-Russia arms deals would not be in China's national interest. Considering China’s role and the concerns of neighboring countries and the international community, efforts by the U.S. and South Korea should be directed towards urging Beijing to prevent risky transactions.”

Seoul and Washington suspect that Pyongyang provided more than 1 million artillery shells to Moscow through more than 10 separate shipments. They also believe that chances are high for Russia to transfer nuclear and ballistic missile technologies to the North in return, with Seoul suspecting that the North might conduct a third launch of what it calls a military spy satellite in the near future and that Pyongyang likely received Russian technologies to make that spacecraft.

Blinken expressed his endorsement for Park’s comments. “We’re also seeing Russia provide technology support to the DPRK for its own military programs,” he said, referring to the North by its official name.

“We certainly discussed this on repeated occasions with China and with senior officials,” Blinken said. “China has a unique relationship with North Korea. As a result of that relationship, it has real influence, and we do look to China to use that influence to play a constructive role in pulling North Korea back from this irresponsible and dangerous behavior.”

The two ministers noted that these efforts will pick up momentum when South Korea joins the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) as a non-permanent member in January next year. Since the U.S. and China are permanent members, the ministers noted that Seoul and Washington will strengthen their efforts to bring up this issue at the UNSC.

“That's a real concern for the security of the Korean Peninsula and it's a real concern for global nonproliferation regimes,” Blinken said. “It's a real concern for the Russian aggression in Ukraine, and a real concern for its violation of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions. So we will keep working with the Republic of Korea, with other interested countries, to identify, to expose and to counter Russia's attempts to acquire military equipment from the DPRK.”

President Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady Kim Keon Hee, left, pose with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken during their luncheon at the presidential residence in central Seoul's Yongsan District, Thursday. Courtesy of presidential office

Prior to Thursday's talks with Park, Blinken joined President Yoon for a luncheon at his residence.

According to presidential spokesperson Lee Do-won, Yoon expressed gratitude to Blinken’s role in “consolidating the global comprehensive strategic alliance between Seoul and Washington,” saying “South Korea will closely cooperate with the U.S. to safeguard core values and strengthen the rules-based international order as an ally.”

Blinken replied that U.S. foreign policy is focused on the Indo-Pacific region, and Washington will enhance its alliance and strategic partnerships with South Korea.

The two countries’ efforts to coordinate their China policy will likely continue at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in San Francisco next week.

Blinken said that he and Minister Park discussed their mutual conversations with Wang Yi, director of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee Foreign Affairs Commission Office, and exchanged “strategic convergence that our countries have in our shared approach to China, including with regard to the South and East China seas and the Taiwan Strait.”