Seoul: South Korea and Brunei on Thursday called for the "immediate" halt to military cooperation between Russia and North Korea during the inaugural session of a bilateral defense policy dialogue, Seoul's defense ministry said. The call was made by Lee Seung-beom, the ministry's director general for international policy, and Poh Kui Choon, Brunei's deputy permanent secretary of defense, during their talks in Seoul.According to Yonhap News Agency, the two sides described North Korea's recent ballistic missile launches and military cooperation with Russia, such as its troop dispatch to the country, as "grave" violations of U.N. Security Council resolutions. They urged an immediate halt to Russia-North Korea military cooperation, as stated in a release by the ministry.The context of these discussions is underscored by recent developments in Ukraine. On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukrainian forces had engaged in their first battles with North Korean troops. Additionally, N orth Korea launched multiple short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea earlier the same day.
- October 12, 2026
