Foreign Minister's Joint Statement... "Strongly Condemns North Korea-Russia Illegal Military Cooperation"

South Korean and British foreign ministers have issued a joint statement strongly condemning illegal military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, including the dispatch of North Korean troops.

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yeol and British Foreign Minister David Lammy issued a separate "Korea-U.K. Joint Statement on North Korea-Russia Cooperation" along with a strategic dialogue as a result of the South Korean-U.K. foreign ministers' strategic dialogue held yesterday.

In a statement, the two ministers noted that cooperation between North Korea and Russia not only violates a number of U.N. Security Council resolutions, but also prolongs the suffering of Ukrainian residents and threatens global security, including South Korea and Britain.

He also said Russia is closely monitoring what it will provide to North Korea in exchange for weapons and military personnel.

The two ministers also said they were deeply concerned about the possibility of transferring nuclear or ballistic missile technology to North Korea, which could jeopardize international non-proliferation efforts and threaten peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and around the world.