South Korea seeks NATO ties amid Russia-North Korea talks
The South Korean authorities announced on Monday their intention to send a delegation to NATO to exchange information on military cooperation between Russia and North Korea. It was reported that Seoul plans to implement active countermeasures depending on how the situation evolves.
"I hope that the process of South Korea joining the NATO system for collecting and using battlefield intelligence data (BICES) will be expedited," said South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol during a conversation with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. "This will allow South Korea and NATO to communicate in real-time and share information securely and effectively." The conversation occurred at the request of Rutte, who called for a South Korean delegation to be directed to the Alliance.
The phone call, initiated by the NATO chief, took place two days after Seoul's intelligence reported that North Korea had sent approximately 1,500 special forces soldiers to the Russian Far East for training.
NATO concerned
Rutte expressed serious concern, describing the deepening military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow as a blatant violation of international law and UN Security Council resolutions.
Yoon assured that South Korea "will continue to take proactive steps to address these events" and looks forward to "cooperating with NATO and its members to determine practical responses," as stated in the release from the head of state's office.
"Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the reckless military rapprochement between Russia and North Korea once again confirm that the security of the Indo-Pacific and the Atlantic regions are inextricably linked," Yoon emphasised.
