Russia dismisses US-South Korea 'speculation' about military deal with North Korea

On September 20, the Russian Embassy in Seoul affirmed that information related to Moscow and Pyongyang discussing military cooperation at the bilateral summit last week was "absurd".

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South Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Chang Ho Jin (right) meets with Russian Ambassador to South Korea Andrey Kulik during a meeting on September 19 in South Korea. (Source: Yonhap)

Specifically, according to a statement on September 20, the Russian Embassy directly informed its Korean counterparts that "speculations raised by the US and Korean media on this topic are baseless."

At the same time, the representative agency stressed that Moscow “always adheres to all international commitments, including those related to the development of mutually beneficial relations with our good neighbor and long-term partner, North Korea.”

Earlier, on September 19, the South Korean Foreign Ministry summoned Russian Ambassador to the country Andrey Kulik to protest Moscow's reported discussion of military cooperation with Pyongyang during the summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In addition, the South Korean Foreign Ministry said that First Vice Foreign Minister Chang Ho Jin asked Russia to comply with the UN Security Council's resolutions related to North Korea, as well as stop efforts to strengthen military relations with Pyongyang.

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