Yoon: "North Korea-Russia Military Cooperation is Illegal... North Korean Nuclear Attack Will Lead to Regime's End"

Ahead of UN General Assembly, Foreign Media Interview... "International Community to Strengthen Unity on North Korea-Russia Cooperation"
Trust in ROK-US Security Cooperation... "Will Develop into an Integrated Extended Deterrence System with Action"
On ROK-US-Japan Cooperation, "Not Excluding Any Specific Country or Seeking Exclusive Group"

President Yoon Suk-yeol on the 17th condemned, "North Korea-Russia military cooperation is illegal and unjust cooperation that violates UN Security Council resolutions and various international sanctions." Regarding North Korea's ongoing nuclear and missile threats, he warned, "The Republic of Korea and the United States will face an immediate, overwhelming, and decisive response to any nuclear attack by North Korea," reaffirming that "this will lead to the end of the North Korean regime."

In a written interview with the Associated Press released on the same day, ahead of his attendance at the UN General Assembly in New York, President Yoon referred to the military cooperation discussed at the North Korea-Russia summit, stating, "The international community will unite even more to respond to this."

President Yoon plans to deliver a message regarding the North Korea-Russia summit during his attendance at this year's UN General Assembly. A presidential office official said, "There will be appropriate analysis and messages from President Yoon at this UN General Assembly," adding, "We are discussing individual measures that we can take with key allies such as the US and Japan, as well as multilateral measures that we can undertake together."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

In particular, President Yoon expressed strong confidence in the ROK-US security cooperation. He said, "Going forward, the extended deterrence between the Republic of Korea and the United States will develop into an integrated extended deterrence system where both countries consult, decide, and act together," adding, "We will realize the capability to deter and respond to any nuclear or missile threats from North Korea."

Addressing concerns that trilateral cooperation among the Republic of Korea, the US, and Japan might hinder improved relations with China, he emphasized, "The cooperation among the Republic of Korea, the US, and Japan aims to jointly respond to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats and contribute to freedom, peace, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region," stressing, "It does not exclude any particular country or pursue an exclusive group." He further added, "I held a summit with President Xi Jinping during the G20 summit in Bali last November, and recently had a meeting with Premier Li Qiang at an ASEAN-related summit," noting, "Through these opportunities, it was clear that China also values the ROK-China relationship."

Regarding his scheduled speech at the UN General Assembly on the 20th (local time), he stated, "As a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2024-2025, South Korea will play a responsible role in security issues requiring international solidarity, such as the war in Ukraine and North Korea's nuclear program," adding, "Furthermore, I will raise the point that we will also contribute to solving problems in development, climate change response, and digital transformation."

Meanwhile, President Yoon will depart on the 18th to attend the '78th UN General Assembly High-Level Session' held in New York. Upon arrival in New York, he will begin a series of bilateral meetings with San Marino, the Czech Republic, Turkmenistan, Saint Lucia, and others. On the third day, the 20th, he is scheduled to deliver the keynote address at the 78th UN General Assembly.

With the vote for the host city approaching, President Yoon plans to conduct an all-out diplomatic campaign to secure the 2030 Busan World Expo. The presidential office explained that since this is the largest multilateral diplomatic stage in the international community where top-level diplomacy takes place, they intend to actively utilize this session. A presidential office official said, "Through the most effective diplomatic means of face-to-face contact with the highest-level officials of other countries, we will share the vision of the Busan Expo and emphasize that it will be a platform to gather wisdom for solving common problems facing humanity," adding, "All-out bilateral diplomacy is also the mission of Korea's number one salesperson, traveling around the world to expand markets for our companies and jobs for our people." Currently, there are 30 bilateral meetings with confirmed schedules, and as many more are being coordinated with various countries, the number is expected to increase further.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.