North Korea’s deal with Russia will cover immediate military assistance, according to state media.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un promised in the agreement, revealed on Wednesday, to offer mutual aid and protection against their enemies – specifically in times of war. Putin traveled to Pyongyang this week to meet with Kim.
Both leaders confirmed the new strategic partnership – a development that sends a warning to the West. The agreement comes as the US continues to support Ukraine in its war with Russia and has made an effort to dissuade the North from increasing threats against South Korea.
Kim said the new partnership rises to the level of an alliance, but Putin did not label it as such, the Associated Press reported.
North Korean state media outlined a section of the agreement that includes promises of mutual aid in its first iteration of the deal. The agreement also states that if one of the countries is invaded and thrown into war, the other must mobilize “all means at its disposal without delay” to provide “military and other assistance,” according to the AP.
It is unclear what specific military assistance might be provided, but the AP reported that Putin said he would not “exclude the development of military-technical cooperation with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, in accordance with the document signed today.”
South Korea condemned North Korea’s deal with Putin as tension remains high between the countries.
“It is absurd that two parties with a history of launching invasion wars – the Korean War and the war in Ukraine – are now promising mutual military cooperation based on the premise of a pre-emptive strike by the international community that will never happen,” South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s office said, according to AP.
“In particular, Russia’s decision to support North Korea and cause harm to our security, despite its status as a permanent member of the Security Council that approved the sanctions resolution against North Korea, will inevitably have a negative impact on (South Korea-Russia) relations,” the office added.
The Associated Press contributed.
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