South Korea’s Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun (left), Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken, and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin held a joint press conference after concluding the 6th Korea-U.S. Foreign and Defense (2+2) Ministerial Meeting on the 31st (local time) in Washington, D.C.
Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and Secretary of State Tony Blinken held a Korea-U.S. Foreign Ministerial Meeting on the same day and agreed to closely coordinate regarding North Korea’s troop dispatch to Russia.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on the 1st that both ministers expressed concern over North Korea’s troop dispatch to Russia and agreed to closely share information on North Korean military deployments and additional troop movements.
Minister Cho urged Blinken to ensure that key achievements under the current administration, such as deepening Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation following the Camp David Summit and strengthening the implementation of extended deterrence through the Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) established by the Washington Declaration, are well transitioned to the next U.S. administration. Blinken stated that the bipartisan support for the Korea-U.S. alliance in the U.S. remains strong and pledged to continue his role in further advancing bilateral relations.
The two ministers also committed to maintaining close communication at various opportunities, including the upcoming meetings such as the G20 and APEC, and to keep working to hold a Korea-U.S.-Japan summit within the year.
Earlier, the foreign and defense ministers of both countries held a “2+2 meeting” to condemn North Korea’s troop dispatch to Russia and urged its immediate withdrawal.
At the press conference, Secretary Blinken revealed that around 8,000 North Korean troops had been deployed to Kursk, Russia, and that Russia had provided them with artillery, drone, and basic infantry training.
He added that this suggested North Korean troops might be deployed to frontline operations in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, although it was not yet clear if they had engaged in combat, noting it could happen in the coming days.
Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun addressed inquiries about North Korea’s level of military material support to Russia, stating that North Korea was believed to have provided nearly ten million rounds of artillery ammunition and around a thousand missiles.
The United States announced plans to unveil additional support for Ukraine within the next few days and stated that it would continue to expand related assistance.