Wi Sung-lac, the Office of National Security chief at the Blue House, said regarding military cooperation between North Korea and Russia that they are "closely monitoring (the situation in the Russia-Ukraine war) with great interest and concern."
The Deputy Minister said at a briefing on the 31st (local time) in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where President Lee Jae-myung is on an official visit, that "our key concerns include the various developments and combat situation unfolding in Ukraine, as well as military cooperation between Russia and North Korea," adding the above.
He went on, "The reason we cannot help but be concerned is that such military cooperation is directly connected to our security," adding, "This is not someone else's problem."
The Deputy Minister added, "It relates to our security interests, and we are paying attention because the impact on the overall international situation is also significant," noting, "This is information we cannot neglect."
The Deputy Minister also reiterated that such military cooperation violates United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions. He said, "For any country, the principle is to abide by UNSC resolutions," adding, "All the more so for responsible permanent members and the like."
He added, "The overall situation in Ukraine remains under close watch, and we intend to respond as needed while monitoring it carefully," and, "We want to make efforts so that it does not head in a worsening direction, or preferably, so that it decreases and is extinguished."
Earlier, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said on the 27th that North Korea plans to send an additional 30,000 troops to Russia.