By The Smartencyclopedia Staff & Agencies
WASHINGTON — A renewed military cooperation between North Korea and Russia has raised concerns about global security in the coming years.
As Russia’s war in Ukraine continues, Moscow has turned to North Korea for help in replenishing its depleted stockpile of arms. In exchange, Russia has offered to help Pyongyang develop weapons, including a spy satellite.
North Korea claimed on November 28 that a satellite it launched into orbit on November 21 had taken photos of critical U.S. sites, including the Norfolk Naval Station, the Newport News shipyard, the White House and the Pentagon.
The South Korean intelligence agency believes Pyongyang was able to launch the satellite only because of technological assistance from Russia. Previously, in May and August, North Korea tried to launch satellites but failed.
Indo-Pacific countries, including Taiwan and Australia, as well as European countries such as the U.K., France, and Ukraine, described the satellite launch as a threat to their national security.
“We fear that Russian counterparts could be acting for the benefit of the North Korean regime,” French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said following a November 23 meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing. “This is destabilizing activities in the region in defiance of UN resolutions.”
China has not condemned Pyongyang’s satellite launch or arms dealings between North Korea and Russia.
“Beijing does not feel threatened by these developments,” Robert Rapson, charge d’affaires and former deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul from 2018 to 2021, said. “It probably views them as useful for its posturing and policies toward the US, South Korea, and Japan.”
At a U.N. Security Council meeting on November 27, U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said Pyongyang’s satellite launch is a violation of U.N. sanctions. “Pyongyang’s satellite launch, which uses prohibited ballistic missile technology, is part of an effort to “advance its nuclear weapons delivery system.”
Ken Gause, senior adversary analytics specialist at the Center for Naval Analyses, said Moscow would be willing to help Pyongyang enhance its Hwasong-18 ICBMs.
Other weapons Pyongyang wants are modern fighter aircraft and air defense systems.
The arms dealings between North Korea and Russia solidified when North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in September.
North Korea has been delivering artillery shells to Russia for its war in Ukraine.
Evans Revere, acting assistant secretary for East Asia and Pacific Affairs during the George W. Bush administration, said arms deals between Moscow and Pyongyang are a “serious matter.”
“The only question is how substantial and how much of an egregious violation of the U.N. Security Council resolutions,” he said.