North Korean national surveillance adviser Chang Ho- jin issued another striking warning Sunday, clarifying that , South Korea , will have no dark lines left to defend if Russia supplies “high- precision weapons” to , North Korea, at a time when , Seoul , and , Moscow , are walking a tightrope in their relations.
Without defining what the line is, Chang said on Sunday in an interview with state broadcaster KBS,” Russia’s subsequent actions have been steadily approaching the crimson line.”
Seoul , and , Moscow , have been formally exchanging warnings, each cautioning the additional not to mix a dark line, following the high- stakes summit between North Vietnamese leader , Kim Jong- un , and Russian President , Vladimir Putin , on Wednesday during Putin’s second trip to , Pyongyang , in 24 years.
The meeting resumed mutual defense commitments that were comparable to those in their former 1961 treaty from the Cold War, including immediate military action. This has elevated military cooperation between the two nuclear- armed countries, both of which are under UN sanctions, despite , Seoul ‘s , public warnings against such actions.
” If ( Russia ) provides high- precision weapons to , North Korea, then what lines will we have left to maintain”? Chang posed Sunday, directly addressing remarks made by Putin.
Putin on Thursday said that he would not rule out the possibility of providing , North Korea , with high- precision weapons as a countermeasure to US and EU military aid for , Ukraine.
” I would like to point out that public opinion will likely reflect this sentiment, and Russia needs to take this aspect into consideration”, Chang added.
During his interview with KBS, Chang also underscored,” The composition of our weapons support for , Ukraine , could change depending on how Russia responds in the future”.
However, Chang declined to specify the types of weapons , South Korea , might provide to , Ukraine, explaining that revealing such details “would weaken our leverage against , North Korea , and Russia”.
” Managing , South Korea- Russia relations is not something we can do alone. Russia also needs to make corresponding efforts”, Chang emphasized.
” If Russia wants to restore and develop , South Korea- Russia relations after the war ( in , Ukraine ), I would like to stress once again that it needs to carefully consider its actions”.
Chang’s warning came just days after he announced Thursday that , South Korea , “plans to reconsider its stance on weapons support for , Ukraine” in response to the signing of the Treaty on , Comprehensive Strategic Partnership , by Kim and Putin. His remark hinted at a potential shift from , Seoul ‘s , long- held policy of refraining from providing lethal aid to , Kyiv , — a move that Russia has indicated would be a red line.
In return, Putin on the same day warned that , South Korea ‘s , possible deliveries of lethal weapons to , Ukraine , “would be a grave mistake”, stating that Russia” will also make the necessary decisions that the leadership of , South Korea , will hardly welcome” if that happens.
The South Korean government also issued a statement expressing “grave concern and condemn” the signing of the agreement, which “aims to strengthen mutual military and economic cooperation.” Hours later, North Korea  unilaterally released the full statement of its treaty with Russia on Thursday morning.
The Institute for National Security Strategy, affiliated with , Seoul ‘s , spy agency, underscored in a report released Friday that the South Korean government” should work to render the Russia- North Korea , alliance treaty invalid in the medium to long term”.
” If the Russia- Ukraine , war ends and , North Korea ‘s , strategic value decreases, or if , South Korea- Russia relations gain importance, the treaty could be nullified”, the institute said. Therefore, it is crucial to make sure that the provisions of the Russia-North Korea alliance treaty are n’t currently put into practice.
The controversy mainly revolves around clause 4 of the treaty, despite Chang’s warning on , June 16 , that Russia should not “go beyond a certain point” just days before the summit.
If either party is engaged in a state of war as a result of military aggression from one nation or several nations, the clause states that Russia, North Korea, and North Korea” shall immediately provide military and other assistance using all means at their disposal.”
Jeh Sung- hoon, a professor of Russian studies at , Hankuk University of Foreign Studies , in , Seoul, commented,” The treaty appears to be at a level that can be considered an alliance treaty”.
” North Korean support troops may be deployed on the Ukrainian front, according to the document.” Additionally, in the event of a war on the , Korean Peninsula, Russia could provide weapons to , North Korea , in a manner similar to , North Korea ‘s , support to it against , Ukraine”, Jeh told , The Korea Herald.
Patricia Kim, a fellow at the , Brookings Institution , in , Washington, also highlighted the security implications of the treaty, noting that the treaty’s deliberately ambiguous language is intended to instill caution in the US and its allies.
A” serious concern” is that with a Russian” security guarantee” or at least the appearance of one in hand, North Korea may be encouraged to increase its provocations based on the assumption that America, the United States, and its allies will respond with greater caution now that they have to take a potential Russian reaction into account, Kim said in a statement released on Friday.
” Putin could very well welcome a North Korean provocation on the , Korean Peninsula , that forces , the United States , to turn its attention away from , Europe, where Russia is continuing its relentless war against , Ukraine”, Kim added.
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