Russian Military: "Establishing Active and Comprehensive Cooperation with North Korea"

Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the Russian General Staff, stated that "Russia has established active and comprehensive cooperation with North Korea."

In September, Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea (center right), visited the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Amur Oblast, Russia, where Russian President Vladimir Putin (center left) was touring the facility.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Chief of the General Staff Gerasimov made this remark on the 21st (local time) during a briefing for foreign military attach?s on the activities of the Russian Ministry of Defense this year, explaining that Russia continues the process of a 'strategic partnership' with India and China.

Russia and North Korea have shown remarkable military closeness this year. In July, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu visited North Korea and toured North Korea's weapons exhibition hall. Then in September, North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un held a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Vostochny Cosmodrome and subsequently inspected major Russian military facilities.

Since then, suspicions have continuously arisen that North Korea supplied weapons to Russia and received military technology in return, but Russia has dismissed these claims as baseless. Russia insists that it is maintaining friendly relations with North Korea while complying with United Nations Security Council resolutions on North Korea.

Chief of the General Staff Gerasimov viewed that the possibility of conflict in the Asia-Pacific region has increased due to the rise of Western-led military quasi-alliances in the area. As examples, he cited the South Korea-U.S.-Japan alliance and the security alliance AUKUS between the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. In particular, regarding AUKUS, he criticized that "participating countries can use it not only to modernize conventional weapons but also to develop nuclear weapons." He further claimed, "Tensions are escalating according to scenarios coordinated by the U.S. in Myanmar, Taiwan, and the Korean Peninsula," and "the West is attempting to deploy strategic weapons in the region by exploiting conflict situations."

Regarding the situation in Europe, he forecasted that "confrontation will increase," citing NATO activities in Eastern Europe and the acceleration of U.S. military alliances with Sweden and Finland as having a negative impact on the European situation.

Concerning the Ukraine 'special military operation,' he said, "The Russian military is expanding its controlled areas in all directions."

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