South Korea’s Yoon will warn APEC leaders about the risks of a Russia-North Korea arms deal

By HYUNG-JIN KIM
Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol says he will discuss international response to the purported North Korean-Russian weapons deal during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco this week. In a written reply to questions from The Associated Press, Yoon says the North Korean-Russian agreement not only poses a serious threat to the security of the Korean Peninsula, Northeast Asia and Europe but also undermines the rules-based international order. Yoon says provocations by North Korea will only result in strong retaliation from South Korean and U.S. forces. Experts worry that Washington’s preoccupation with Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war might prompt North Korea to conclude that the U.S. security posture on the Korean Peninsula has weakened.