S. Korea, Canada demand withdrawal of N. Korean troops from Russia

SEOUL, Nov. 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and Canada have called for the withdrawal of North Korean troops dispatched to aid Russia in its war against Ukraine, labeling the deployment "a grave escalation" of tension that threatens security in both Europe and the Indo-Pacific region.

The call was made in a joint statement adopted during a "two plus two" meeting of the two countries' foreign and defense ministers in Ottawa on Friday (Canada time), Seoul's foreign ministry said the following day.

Representing South Korea were Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, while Canada was represented by Foreign Minister Melanie Joly and Defense Minister Bill Blair.

The United States said on Thursday there were 10,000 North Korean troops in Russia, with 8,000 of them deployed to the country's western front-line Kursk region to enter the fight against Ukraine in the coming days.

The high-level meeting is the first of its kind between the two countries and was held as part of an action plan adopted in July following the signing of a "comprehensive strategic partnership" treaty during a summit in May 2023.

The statement strongly condemned North Korea's increased military cooperation with Russia, describing it as a breach of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions. It also criticized Pyongyang's provision of ammunition and ballistic missiles to support what the ministers described as Russia's "brutal and unjustifiable" aggression in Ukraine.

Both countries stated they are closely monitoring what Russia might be providing to North Korea in return for its military support.

They pledged to actively consider additional measures with the international community based on the perception that security in the Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic regions is increasingly inter-connected.

The statement also condemned North Korea's continued missile launches, including the recent test of the new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) Hwasong-19 on Thursday.

They reiterated their call for the complete, verifiable, and irreversible dismantlement of North Korea's weapons of mass destruction.

Canada expressed strong support for South Korea's efforts to realize a unified Korean Peninsula that is free, peaceful, prosperous and denuclearized.

The ministers agreed to deepen regional cooperation by launching a "Korea-Canada Indo-Pacific dialogue" and advancing negotiations for a military and defense confidentiality agreement.

They announced plans to establish regular army dialogues, with the first session scheduled to be held in Canada.