The presidential office said there was "nothing new" about the joint statement adopted by Korea and the European Union (EU) on the 10th local time that criticized military cooperation between North Korea and Russia.
A presidential office official said on the 13th, "This does not go beyond the Korean government's existing stance."
Earlier, President Lee Jae-myung, European Council President António Costa, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen held a summit in Brussels on the 10th and adopted a joint statement that included language such as "We strongly condemn illegal military cooperation between Russia and North Korea."
The official said, "The positions on military cooperation between Russia and North Korea and on North Korean human rights are simply the Korean government's already stated positions reflected as is in the statement." The official added, "I do not think this statement will newly burden relations with Russia or North Korea."
At the time, the presidential office omitted the condemnation of North Korea included in the joint statement from its press briefings and releases.