Seoul: Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul has called on visiting United Nations officials to deliver "stern" messages for an immediate withdrawal of North Korean troops from Russia and the cessation of their "illegal" military cooperation, the foreign ministry said Tuesday. In his meeting with U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo, Cho emphasized that the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia violates U.N. Security Council resolutions and poses a threat to international peace and stability.According to Yonhap News Agency, Cho also engaged with U.N. High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu to discuss the ongoing military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang, as well as global nuclear disarmament and the nonproliferation of nuclear weapons. The discussions took place during the 23rd South Korea-U.N. disarmament conference held in Seoul, where Cho reiterated that the North's military activities present a significant challenge to global nucl ear disarmament efforts.On the same day, Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho held talks with DiCarlo to explore collaborative measures with the U.N. to address security issues on the Korean Peninsula. Kim briefed DiCarlo on the North's troop deployment and recent intercontinental ballistic missile launch, condemning Pyongyang's nuclear and missile development and illegal cooperation with Russia. He also expressed Seoul's commitment to achieving reunification based on freedom, peace, and prosperity.DiCarlo expressed full support for Seoul's unification aspirations and voiced serious concerns over the North's troop deployment to Russia. The cooperation between Russia and North Korea has intensified in recent years, highlighted by the signing of a comprehensive strategic partnership in June, which mandates mutual military assistance in case of an attack.
- October 12, 2026
