During a visit to Seoul this week, Blinken said he was concerned about North Korea’s “increasing and dangerous military cooperation with Russia,” urging Beijing, Pyongyang’s main ally, to use its influence to prevent dangerous military tests.
On Saturday, Pyongyang condemned Blinken’s statements, describing them as “irresponsible and provocative,” according to what Agence France-Presse reported.
The Foreign Ministry said that these statements “only serve to increase dangerous political and military tensions on the Korean Peninsula and the region,” according to North Korea’s official news agency.
“The United States must get used to the new reality of relations between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and Russia,” she added, using North Korea’s official name.
The growing military cooperation between Pyongyang and Seoul is a source of concern for Ukraine and its allies, especially after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met Russian President Vladimir Putin in September in the Russian Far East.
Pyongyang said on Saturday, “No matter what others say, the friendly and cooperative relations between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and Russia… will be constantly strengthened,” according to Agence France-Presse.
After Blinken’s visit this week, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is expected to meet with his South Korean counterpart on Monday in the South Korean capital, at a time when Seoul and Washington are intensifying their defense cooperation.
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