South Korea voices 'strong regret' over North's nuclear missile display at military parade

South Korea's unification ministry has expressed "strong" regret over North Korea's military parade that marked the 70th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice Agreement that ended the 1950-53 Korean War. Koo Byoung-sam, Seoul's Unification Ministry spokesperson, said in a press briefing that Pyongyang must choose the "right" path for peace and to maintain stability on the Korean Peninsula. 

North Korea's authoritarian leader Kim Jong Un staged a military parade in the presence of senior officials from China and Russia, including Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. A delegation led by Li Hongzhong, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the Chinese National People’s Congress, also attended the event.

'We express strong regret': Seoul Minister

Kim touted North Korea's latest weapons, including the Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), and unmanned reconnaissance aircraft and strike drones. Seoul’s Unification Ministry spokesman Byoung-sam launched a strong condemnation of the military parade. 

“We express strong regret over how North Korea is adhering to nuclear development and an attitude of confrontation rather than seeking denuclearization and peace despite this year marking the 70th anniversary of the armistice,” Koo Byoung-sam said, according to Seoul's state-affiliated agencies. 

The South Korean government urged North Korea to “suspend” its nuclear development and “come forth to choose the right path,” Seoul-based Yonhap News reported. The United States on Monday also warned that it will "not hesitate to impose sanctions" on North Korea for supplying weapons to Russia that may be used to attack the Ukrainian forces during the ongoing conflict.

Speaking at a press briefing, the US State Department spokesperson, Matthew Miller, said that following Russia's defence minister Sergei Shoigu’s recent trip to North Korea, many believe that there will now be increased military cooperation between the two countries. But the US, he said, “won't hesitate” to slap more sanctions on the entities that might support Pyongyang or Moscow’s military programs or supply weapons to Russia. Miller underscored that the strengthening ties between Pyongyang and Moscow have "not exactly been productive" for international security.

"Obviously, there has been a close relationship between those two countries for a while," Miller said. "When that's not exactly been productive to increasing the security of the world, I wouldn't expect that to change as a result of this."