Cho Tae-yeol Condemns 'Dangerous Close Ties' Between North Korea and Russia at APEC Meeting

Direct Condemnation at APEC Including Russia Participation

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul strongly condemned North Korea and Russia for engaging in illegal military cooperation at the 35th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM) held in Lima, Peru.

At the meeting held on the 14th (local time), Minister Cho stated, "The recent illegal cooperation between Russia and North Korea, which violates United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions, is undermining the prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region," urging an end to these illegal activities. He specifically pointed out that "North Korea's continuous transfer of weapons to Russia and the recent deployment of North Korean troops to Russia, deepening Russia-North Korea military cooperation, are harming peace and security in Ukraine, the Korean Peninsula, and worldwide."

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yeol attended the 35th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM) held in Lima, Peru, on the 14th (local time). Photo by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Additionally, Minister Cho introduced South Korea's plan, as the APEC chair country next year, to lead discussions on building a digital ecosystem by hosting APEC's first-ever 'Digital Ministers' Meeting.' APEC is the largest economic cooperation forum in the Asia-Pacific region, comprising 21 countries including South Korea, the United States, China, Japan, and Russia. As the chair country next year, South Korea will host the summit in Gyeongju.

Jung In-kyo, Director-General for Trade Negotiations at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, emphasized the need for regional cooperation and collaboration to achieve inclusive, interconnected, and sustainable growth amid uncertain economic conditions. He also proposed measures to enhance economic cooperation within APEC, including maintaining the multilateral trading system centered on the World Trade Organization (WTO) and accelerating trade and investment liberalization through the realization of the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP).

Meanwhile, Minister Cho met with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the sidelines of the APEC meeting for a Korea-U.S. foreign ministers' talks. Both expressed concern, stating that "the illegal military cooperation between Russia and North Korea poses a serious threat to security in Europe and the Indo-Pacific region." They agreed to closely cooperate while monitoring the possibility of Russia providing military support to North Korea in exchange for the deployment of North Korean troops.

Secretary Blinken introduced the strong bipartisan support for the Korea-U.S. alliance within the United States and stated, "I believe that the major cooperative achievements between Korea and the U.S. will be well handed over to the next U.S. administration."