Russia's appeal for security talks with N. Korea to counter Seoul

North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui (R) and her Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, exchange agreements after talks in Pyongyang, Oct. 19, 2023, in this photo provided by the North's Korean Central News Agency. Yonhap

Russia's recent call for regular security talks with North Korea and China to counter what it characterizes as "intensifying" and "dangerous" military activity between South Korea, the United States and Japan is a "misleading" assessment, a ministry official said Friday.

During his visit to the North on Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said his country supports holding a regular negotiating process on security with Pyongyang and Beijing against the "dangerous" policies of Seoul, Washington and Tokyo, apparently putting the blame on the three allies for escalating tensions in the region.

Lavrov also said the "intensifying military activity" of the three countries and "Washington working toward moving strategic infrastructure, including nuclear aspects," are of "great concern to us and our North Korean friends," according to Russia's state news agency, TASS.

"This is a misleading (assessment) of the cause of tensions on the Korean Peninsula ... and appears aimed at covering up the international community's attention on the illegal military cooperation between Russia and North Korea," the official at Seoul's foreign ministry said.

Noting the "fundamental" problem lies in North Korea's nuclear and missile development, he urged Russia to immediately stop all "illegal military cooperation" with the North, which threatens regional security and violates U.N. Security Council resolutions.

"Our position remains unchanged that we are open to dialogue without any preconditions for North Korea's denuclearization," he said. (Yonhap)