The United States and South Korea are set to hold a high-level meeting this week in Washington, focusing on growing global tensions.
Reinforce Alliance
The talks, scheduled for Thursday, come amid reports that North Korean troops have been deployed to Russia, raising concerns over the strengthening ties between Pyongyang and Moscow, especially as Russia remains engaged in its nearly three-year-long war in Ukraine.
According to a statement from the U.S. State Department, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will lead the talks for the U.S., while South Korea will be represented by Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yong and Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun.
The planned discussions aim to reinforce the alliance between the U.S. and South Korea and will cover a range of regional and global security issues, according to Ziare.
Joint Military Exercises
The meeting follows recent reports from South Korean and Ukrainian sources indicating that North Korea has sent troops to Russia for possible deployment in Ukraine.
Last week, South Korean intelligence disclosed during a parliamentary session that Pyongyang had already sent approximately 3,000 soldiers to Russia, according to South Korean news agency Yonhap.
Seoul condemned this action, stating it violates United Nations Security Council resolutions and the U.N. Charter.
Secretary of Defense Austin confirmed that the U.S. has “evidence” of North Korean troops’ presence in Russia, though their exact roles and assignments remain unclear.
The U.S. has repeatedly warned of the dangers posed by a North Korea-Russia alliance and has accused Pyongyang of supplying ammunition and weapons to Russia for its ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Washington considers this military relationship a serious threat to regional stability, particularly in Northeast Asia, where security tensions are already high.
In recent months, the U.S. and South Korea have increased joint military exercises and security coordination in response to North Korea’s growing alignment with Moscow, as well as Pyongyang's continued ballistic missile testing.
