SEOUL — North Korea has approved its defense cooperation agreement with Russia, state media announced on Tuesday. This comes amid claims that Pyongyang has deployed a notable number of troops to aid Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. #NorthKoreaRussia
The Comprehensive Strategic Partnership treaty, which involves mutual support if either nation is attacked, was finalized in June. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the agreement.
“The treaty will take effect from the day when both sides exchanged the ratification instruments,” the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, adding Kim signed a decree to ratify the treaty on Monday.
Russia, which began a large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, has already approved the treaty. This has raised fears that North Korea’s increased military support could alter the conflict’s dynamics.
The agreement states, “If either side enters a state of war due to an armed attack by one or multiple states, the other side must provide immediate military and other assistance using all available resources,” KCNA reported in June.
The pact essentially reinstates the mutual defense commitment from a 1961 agreement that lapsed after the Soviet Union’s dissolution in 1991. The treaty, which remains in “indefinite effect,” addresses trade, economic ties, energy, technology, and more, according to KCNA.
Furthermore, the agreement outlines collaboration in various sectors, including energy and technology. Clearly, the North Korea Russia partnership extends beyond military ties. These areas of cooperation may bring mutual benefits, but they also heighten tensions worldwide. As a result, many are watching closely to see how this relationship evolves. #NorthKoreaRussia
