NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg is in South Korea, and North Korea isn't happy about it

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg visited South Korea and urged the country to increase its military support for Ukraine. He cited other nations that altered their stance of not providing weapons to countries in conflict after Russia's invasion. During his trip to Pyongyang, Stoltenberg aims to strengthen ties with US allies in light of the ongoing war in Ukraine and growing competition from China. In Seoul, he acknowledged South Korea's contribution of non-lethal aid to Ukraine, but called for more support, including ammunition, citing an urgent need.

“I urge the Republic of Korea to continue and to step up on the specific issue of military support. At the end of the day, it’s a decision for you to make, but I’ll say that several Nato allies who have had as a policy to never export weapons to countries in a conflict have changed that policy now," he said, as per a report from CNN news.

Stoltenberg wants South Korea to supply weapons to Ukraine

He stated that NATO wants to help tackle global threats by expanding partnerships in Asia. South Korea has already signed major arms deals, providing tanks, aircraft, and other weapons to NATO member Poland, but South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has mentioned that the country's law against providing arms to countries in conflict makes providing weapons to Ukraine challenging. Stoltenberg acknowledged that other countries like Germany, Sweden, and Norway had similar restrictions but changed them.

He emphasized that Ukraine needs weapons to prevent autocracy and tyranny from winning and that it's crucial that Russia doesn't emerge victorious in the war to send a positive message to authoritarian leaders, including in Beijing, that they cannot attain their goals through force. Stoltenberg stated that although China is not NATO's adversary, it has become a higher priority on the alliance's agenda due to its growing military capabilities and aggressive behavior. He mentioned that NATO wants to engage with China on issues such as arms control, climate change, and others, but at the same time, they recognize that China poses a threat to their values, interests, and security.

North Korea criticises Stoltenberg's visit

In response, North Korea has called Stoltenberg's visit a precursor to conflict and war. According to a report from Yonhap, the Korean Central News Agency, which is the state media of North Korea, carried an article Kim Tong-myong, who said that "the trip of the NATO secretary general to South Korea and Japan is a prelude to confrontation and war as it brings the dark clouds of a 'new Cold War' to the Asia-Pacific region". Kim Tong-myong is a researcher at North Korea's organization on international political study. Last year, South Korea established its first diplomatic mission to NATO, with the aim of strengthening cooperation in non-proliferation, cyber defense, counterterrorism, disaster response, and other security matters. The NATO Secretary General's visit coincides with the arrival of US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in Seoul for talks with his South Korean counterpart Lee Jong-sup.