Yoon to Meet US Director of National Intelligence... Discussing Countermeasures for North Korea-Russia Military Cooperation

Afternoon Meeting Scheduled Between President Yoon and Officials at Yongsan Presidential Office
Close North Korea-Russia Military Alliance Spurs US-South Korea Cooperation

In May 2021, Avril Haines, Director of National Intelligence (DNI) of the United States, is leaving a hotel in downtown Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

President Yoon Suk-yeol is reported to meet Avril Haines, Director of the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), on the 28th. They are expected to share information regarding the recent military alliance-level treaty signed between North Korea and Russia, and discuss cooperation measures between South Korea and the U.S., as well as trilateral cooperation among South Korea, the U.S., and Japan.

According to the presidential office and diplomatic authorities, President Yoon is scheduled to receive Director Haines at the Yongsan Presidential Office in the afternoon. Director Haines heads the DNI, the top intelligence agency overseeing 16 U.S. intelligence organizations including the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

President Yoon and Director Haines are expected to discuss North Korea-Russia relations and the security situation on the Korean Peninsula.

Recently, Russian President Vladimir Putin, who visited North Korea, held a summit with North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un and signed a "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement." The treaty includes a clause interpreted as "automatic military intervention in case of emergency." In response, the South Korean government has indicated it will reconsider its principle of "prohibiting lethal weapon support" to Ukraine, raising tensions.

In particular, North Korea has continued provocations by launching ballistic missiles into the East Sea on the 26th and subsequently releasing balloons carrying waste toward South Korea. This has led some within the ruling party to voice the need for South Korea to develop its own nuclear weapons.

Director Haines testified before the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee in March, pointing out that shifting power dynamics among North Korea, China, Russia, and Iran are creating new challenges. She stated, "If Russia, which needs help in the Ukraine war, grants what North Korea, China, and Iran want, the long-standing non-proliferation norms could weaken."

At the meeting, responses to the abolition of the Panel of Experts on North Korea Sanctions, which had been monitoring the implementation of North Korea sanctions resolutions but was disbanded due to Russia's veto as a permanent member of the UN Security Council in April, may also be on the agenda.

This visit by Director Haines marks her first trip to South Korea in about two years and eight months since October 2021. She served as Deputy National Security Advisor during the Barack Obama administration and was the first female Deputy Director of the CIA. During her visit in May 2021, she met with President Moon Jae-in to share updates on the Korean Peninsula situation and toured the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).