US to hold dialogue with South Korea as North Korea, Russia deepen ties

In an effort to strengthen cooperation in the face of mounting worries about North Korea’s closer military ties to Russia, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is scheduled to arrive in Seoul on Wednesday for talks with his counterpart in South Korea.

The two-day visit is a part of Blinken’s larger Asia tour, which also includes meetings with G7 counterparts, talks with Japanese officials in Tokyo, and a later stop in India amid the Israel-Hamas conflict. This is the first visit by a U.S. secretary of state in two and a half years.

The visit to Seoul coincides with the condemnation of alleged North Korean arms and military equipment transfers to Russia by the US, South Korea, and Japan.

Washington and Seoul interpret the North Korean regime’s closer military ties with Russia—which is believed to be experiencing dwindling munitions supplies due to its conflict with Ukraine—as Pyongyang’s attempt to obtain strategic military capabilities in exchange.

After failing to place a spy satellite into orbit twice this year, North Korea is getting ready to launch one.

North Korea was reportedly receiving technical support from Russia, according to South Korea’s spy agency, which stated last week that the country was nearing the end of its launch preparations.

Claims of arms deals have been refuted by Pyongyang and Moscow, whose leaders promised increased military cooperation during their September meeting in the far east of Russia.

Following Pyongyang’s designation of Nov. 18 as “missile industry day” to honour the nation’s launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) last year, the South Korean military said on Monday that it was on alert for potential provocations from North Korea.

The Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which North Korea tested in November 2022, has the capacity to deliver a nuclear warhead to any location in the United States.

South Korea also intends to launch its first spy satellite on Nov. 30 from the U.S. military’s Vandenberg base aboard a SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket with assistance from the United States.

According to a U.S. official, Blinken’s visit showed this “enduring” commitment, and the U.S. remained focused on the Indo-Pacific despite other global challenges.

This week, U.S. Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin is scheduled to travel to South Korea, Indonesia, and India.

Citing an expert on international affairs, North Korean official media KCNA denounced Blinken and Austin’s visits on Wednesday, claiming they would create a “new war cloud” in the Asia-Pacific area.

According to South Korea’s foreign ministry, U.S. and South Korean officials met in Washington to discuss North Korea’s alleged illegal cyber operations that finance its illicit weapons development projects.

Sanctions monitors have charged the isolated nation with utilising cyberattacks to obtain money for its nuclear and missile programmes. According to a UN report, the North increased its cryptocurrency thefts in 2022, employing sophisticated methods to take more than any other year.

(With agency inputs)