The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said on Sunday that South Korea will have to pay a "dear price" for sending propaganda leaflets across the border the previous day.
NATO and Europe are crying hoarse about North Korean troops being deployed in Russia. According to the Pentagon, about 10,000 North Korean troops are ready to be deployed in the war zone, most of whom are undergoing training in Russia. This would imply strength of about one division.
Guided by Kim, North Korea carried out a "crucial" missile test that set milestones in "perpetuating the absolute superiority" of the country's armed forces, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
Russia said on Monday it will continue its cooperation with North Korea but declined to comment on allegations that it plans to use North Korean soldiers in military operations against Ukraine.
The defence ministry's stance was echoed by the ruling People Power Party (PPP) on Sunday.
Vladimir Putin’s recently concluded visit to Pyongyang was closely watched by the West, mainly because the two countries, Russia and North Korea, remain the most sanctioned on the planet, alongside Iran. The visit was expected to be fruitful for both.
South Korea summoned the top Russian envoy in Seoul on Friday to lodge a protest over a new treaty signed with North Korea that calls for immediate military assistance if either is attacked.
The signing of a mutual defence pact between Russia and North Korea during President Vladimir Putin’s just-concluded visit to Pyongyang marks a significant and potentially destabilising shift in the geopolitical landscape of Northeast Asia.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stressed the importance of expanding cooperation between the Western military alliance and partners in the Indo-Pacific region, amid a visit to North Korea by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
According to reports in South Korean media, two different groups undertook such leaflet campaigns on Thursday and Friday.
