Russia Expresses Alarm Over Deepening NATO-South Korea Ties

Moscow and Pyongyang have quite obviously deepened their relations in unprecedented ways over the past years since the Ukraine war began, and this has been most on display with the transfer of thousands of North Korean troops in support of Russian forces, and DPRK soldiers even losing their lives while fighting Ukraine.

So it’s only to be expected that Russia side with North Korea in the long-running conflict and standoff with South Korea. But now the Kremlin senses Seoul is moving ever closer to NATO, to the point that it’s calling out the deepened military relations.

Russia has newly made clear its position that it is unacceptable for South Korea to become a de facto participant in the alliance’s rearmament efforts.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a new statement issued following a meeting between Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko and South Korean Ambassador to Moscow Lee Seok Bae:

“The Russian side expressed serious concern over Seoul’s growing drift toward NATO, as demonstrated, among other things, by the Republic of Korea’s practical steps to deepen military and military-technical cooperation with the North Atlantic Alliance, the consequences of which pose a threat to Russia’s security,” the statement said.

The ministry stated that “it is unacceptable for the Republic of Korea to become a de facto participant in NATO’s qualitative and quantitative rearmament process, as the alliance has openly declared its preparations for war with Russia.”

Of course, South Korea is not a NATO member and full membership remains unrealistic; however, it is seen by Brussels as a highly integrated “Indo-Pacific partner” – and of course the United States has a permanent large-scale troop presence there.

Major General Eray Üngüder, Director of NATO’s Cooperative Security Division, declared in June that “The Republic of Korea is a longstanding Partner of NATO and we are grateful to have this strongly committed partnership.”

And NATO describes on its website of relations with Seoul that “This collaboration, initiated in 2005, involves joint efforts in several fields including cybersecurity, capability development, new technologies and countering hybrid threats. This year’s conversations primarily addressed topics like interoperability, standardization and cyber exercises.”

But Moscow definitely sees thing differently. It agrees with Kim Jong Un that Washington is an ‘imperialist’ power and hegemon, and through constant military flexing, sows instability from Eastern Europe to the South Pacific.