Tokyo Shimbun's Report on 'Supplying Weapons by Train' Sparks Backlash
[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hee-jun] North Korea recently denied Japanese media reports claiming that it supplied military supplies to Russia via railway. Earlier, the Tokyo Shimbun reported on the 20th of last month that a train carrying weapons, including shells, moved along the railway connecting Tuman River Station in North Korea's northeastern Nason Special City and Hassan Station in Russia's Primorsky Krai.
A spokesperson for North Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded on the 23rd in an interview with the Korean Central News Agency, stating, "The Japanese media's slanderous report that our country provided military supplies to Russia is the most absurd public manipulation, and it holds no value worthy of any evaluation or interpretation."
They continued, "Our principled stance on the non-existent 'arms trade' issue between North Korea and Russia remains unchanged from yesterday to today," and argued, "The international community should focus on the criminal acts of the United States, which is massively supplying various lethal weapons to Ukraine, causing bloodshed and destruction in that country, rather than lending an ear to the baseless 'arms trade rumors' fabricated by some malicious forces for various purposes."
They added, "If I may add a word on this occasion, the Russian people are the strongest people who possess the will and ability to protect their country's safety and territorial integrity without any military support from anyone."
Earlier, the Tokyo Shimbun reported on the 22nd that on the 20th of last month, a train carrying weapons such as shells moved along the railway connecting Tuman River Station in North Korea's northeastern Nason Special City to Hassan Station in Russia's Primorsky Krai. The newspaper stated, "Before the arms trade, North Korea negotiated for several months to sell shells and rockets worth millions of dollars to Russia," and added, "It is said to be the first time North Korea supplied weapons by railway."
North Korea's arms exports violate United Nations Security Council Resolution 1718. However, North Korea maintains its position that it has not engaged in arms trade with Russia.
Meanwhile, John Kirby, Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the U.S. National Security Council (NSC), announced during a phone briefing on the 22nd (local time) that North Korea was found to have sold weapons last month to the Russian private military company Wagner Group.
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