On Monday, it was revealed by the United States that North Korea has sent more than 10,000 containers filled with military weapons to Russia in order to aid in their conflict in Ukraine. This number is higher than the previous estimate of 7,000 containers given by the South Korean defense chief earlier today.

The U.S. Senior Official for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), Jung Pak, informed VOA on Monday that there have been a minimum of 10 occurrences where North Korean missiles were deployed during combat in Ukraine.

She voiced strong worry regarding the growing connections between Russia, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, and the DPRK.

On Monday, North Korea fired a number of ballistic missiles into the ocean, marking the first such action in two months. This came as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Seoul for the Summit for Democracy, which was being hosted by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.

Despite the negative and alarming changes, Pak stated to VOA that the United States still believes that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is not currently plotting a sudden strike against their allied nations of South Korea and Japan.

The text has been revised for conciseness and comprehensibility.

According to VOA, North Korea recently launched multiple ballistic missiles while South Korea was holding the Summit for Democracy. This occurred shortly after the U.S. and South Korea concluded their joint military exercises. Do you continue to believe that a direct attack by North Korea on Japan and South Korea is not likely to happen soon?

I am still monitoring the situation with ballistic missile launches from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. In 2022 alone, they have conducted 69 launches and several dozen in the previous year. These were the latest launches, which happened to coincide with the Secretary’s visit to Seoul for the Summit for Democracy.

We still assess that DPRK’s leader, Kim Jong Un, is not looking at an imminent attack or near-term attack. I think Kim Jong Un probably knows what that would likely mean in response. But we are very concerned about the level of activity, weapons advancements, and the increasing alignment with Russia over the past couple of years.

Could you please confirm if the United States has not observed any indications that North Korea is preparing to take any deadly military measures against South Korea in the upcoming months?

I am constantly vigilant for potentially harmful actions. However, I want to emphasize that the recent ballistic and cruise missile tests, as well as the aggressive language from North Korea, are extremely troubling to us. Nevertheless, we will continue to seek opportunities to communicate with North Korea, as diplomacy is the only way to achieve lasting peace on the peninsula and address the issue of denuclearization.

On Monday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un extended his congratulations to Russian President Vladimir Putin on his reelection. Additionally, South Korea’s defense minister has stated that North Korea sent 7,000 containers filled with ammunition to Russia. Can you discuss the strengthening relationship between Moscow and Pyongyang?

Pak: It’s been a very concerning development to have a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council openly flout the Security Council resolutions that it signed up to, along with the rest of the international community, and that they’re engaging in weapons transfers. We know that there have been at least 10,000 containers that have gone from DPRK to Russia. And DPRK is not doing this for free. There are almost certainly things that DPRK wants in return. And we’re concerned about what might be going to the other side.

We are concerned about the potential for the DPRK to gain knowledge from Russia’s utilization of these weapons and missiles in combat, and the impact that could have on their weapon development. This is a highly precarious period.

Can the United States confirm new proof that additional ballistic missiles provided by North Korea to Russia have been launched at targets in Ukraine since 2024?

Reworded: This situation deeply troubles us as there is a known supplier in the DPRK who is selling weapons to Russia. Their actions have resulted in an illegal and vicious attack on Ukraine, resulting in loss of life, destruction of infrastructure, and upheaval of citizens’ lives. Therefore, we are greatly concerned about this.

There have been a minimum of 10 occasions in which the DPRK has employed their missiles in warfare. Therefore, we are extremely worried about the implications for future proliferation and how this worsens the current situation.

Is there additional proof that the U.S. has observed indicating that Russia has accepted and is aiding North Korea in developing nuclear-capable missiles?

The DPRK appears to be seeking technologies for ballistic missiles, advanced technology, surface-to-air missiles, and armored vehicles. We have noticed a significant rise in communications between military, leadership, economic, and cultural aspects. This suggests that the two sides are moving towards a stronger relationship.

Can you explain more about the interim measures that would lead to complete denuclearization, as mentioned by you? Is it a formal policy of the US government to have “interim steps” for disarming North Korea of its nuclear weapons?

Pak: Our stance has remained consistent since our policy evaluation earlier this year in 2021. We are fully committed to achieving complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and have not strayed from this objective.

When we talk about “interim steps,” we’re making explicit what has always been implicit: which is a complete denuclearization will not occur overnight. So, there are valuable discussions that we can have with the DPRK on reducing the potential for military risk, and other substantive discussions as we work toward complete denuclearization.

Is it not a deviation from pursuing complete denuclearization?

Pak: It is not a departure. As I mentioned, this is not something that’s going to happen overnight. There are going to have to be substantial discussions that will need to take place.

Source: voanews.com