WNAM MONITORING: President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday denounced North Korea’s sending of trash-carrying balloons to South Korea and its military cooperation with Russia as “anachronistic” acts that go against the progress in history.
Yoon made the remark in an address marking the 74th anniversary of the outbreak of the 1950-53 Korean War, saying the comprehensive strategic partnership treaty between the North and Russia blatantly violates U.N. Security Council resolutions.
“Recently, North Korea has not hesitated to undertake such despicable and irrational provocations distributing trash balloons. Last week, it signed a comprehensive strategic cooperation treaty with Russia, which started the war in Ukraine, and promised to strengthen military and economic cooperation in blatant violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions,” Yoon said in the address during a ceremony in the southeastern city of Daegu.
“These are none other than anachronistic acts going against the progress in history,” he said. “Our military will maintain a steadfast readiness to ensure that North Korea does not dare to challenge South Korea under any circumstances and will respond overwhelmingly and decisively to any provocations from the North.”
It was Yoon’s first public comment on the pact signed when Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held summit talks in Pyongyang last week. It includes a pledge for the two countries to come to each other’s aid if attacked, a seeming return to a Cold War-era alliance.
The Korean War began June 25, 1950, with North Korea, supported by the Soviet Union and China, fighting against South Korea, which was aided by U.S.-led U.N. forces.
Yoon vowed to deter North Korea’s provocations and threats through a robust security posture and the alliance with the U.S. and other countries that share values with South Korea.
North Korea is under several U.N. sanctions over its nuclear and missile programs but is believed to have received food and other supplies from Russia in return for supplying artillery shells for Moscow’s war with Ukraine. Russia is one of five veto-wielding members of the U.N. Security Council.
Tensions between the two Koreas have persisted as the North has sent trash-carrying balloons in a tit-for-tat move against anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets sent by North Korean defectors in the South. On Monday, the North sent such balloons again toward the South, marking the fifth balloon launch since late last month.
North Korean soldiers have also briefly violated the border three times this month, prompting the South Korean military to fire warning shots.
