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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin sit together during their meeting at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia’s Far East on Sept. 12, 2023. (Yonhap)

Ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s anticipated visit to North Korea this week, the South Korean government announced on Sunday that it reached out to Moscow to request that Russia does not “cross any lines.”  

During an appearance on Yonhap News TV on Sunday, national security adviser Chang Ho-jin said, “Since the North Korea-Russia summit last year [September], we’ve seen continued exchange between the two countries, including the sales of North Korean arms to Russia.” 

The presidential office has reportedly received intelligence suggesting that Russia and North Korea may sign a treaty that obligates both parties to intervene on the other’s behalf in the case of a military conflict. This is apparently the reason behind Seoul’s “warning” to Moscow ahead of Putin’s visit to North Korea. 

“We will continue to monitor the situation and thoroughly analyze the results of Putin’s visit. Our response, which will be calibrated and firm, will be based on a comprehensive assessment of whether this amounts to rhetoric or something more, and to what extent any such rhetoric might go,” Chang said. 

During an appearance on Channel A, Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul said, “We clarified our position that any discussions that threaten peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula must not occur, and relayed this cautionary message to Russian authorities.” 

“It’s still too early to say there is a concrete cooperative network between China, Russia and North Korea,” said Chang.

“China and Russia clearly have differing interests,” he added. 

Regarding recent reports that North Korea might be building a border wall along the Armistice Line, Chang commented, “At this point, it looks more like a barrier of anti-tank obstacles than a border wall, and the length of the barricade is very short.” 

Regarding North Korea’s reinstallation of border loudspeakers, Chang assessed that they were “more likely for purposes of drowning out our broadcasts than for broadcasting messages to South Korea.”  

By Jang Na-rye, staff reporter

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]