Blinken: Russia may provide advanced satellite technology to N. Korea

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday that Russia is willing to provide North Korea with its advanced space and satellite technology in exchange for the North’s provision of weapons and other equipment to Moscow in support of its war against Ukraine.

Blinken made the remark after talks with Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul in Seoul, calling it a concern for the United States and its key allies, like South Korea and Japan.

“We have reasons to believe that Moscow intends to share advanced space and satellite technology to Pyongyang,” Blinken said in a joint press conference.

“Putin may be close to reversing a decadeslong policy by accepting DPRK’s nuclear weapons program,” he said, referring to the North by its official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).

“That concern is very much a focus, not only for the United States, but also Korea and Japan,” he added.

The allies have confirmed that some 12,000 North Korean soldiers have been sent to the war front lines in Russia’s western Kursk border region to fight alongside the Russian forces, with many of them believed to have been killed or wounded in combat.

Blinken said that the North’s close alignment with Russia underscores the need for greater security cooperation among the U.S., South Korea and Japan, as well as with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), as security in the Indo-Pacific and Europe becomes increasingly interconnected.

“The United States looks forward to Korea, along with Japan, Australia, New Zealand, continuing to increase cooperation with NATO to stand together to defend international rules and principles,” he said.

Regarding President Yoon Suk Yeol’s botched martial law imposition and his subsequent impeachment, Blinken said that Washington delivered its “serious concerns” about the steps Yoon has taken to Seoul.

“We communicated those directly to the (South Korean) government,” he said.

At the same time, Blinken reiterated the U.S.’ confidence in South Korea’s democratic resilience, saying that responding to challenges is the “the hallmark of any democracy.”

“That is the strength that the Republic of Korea is reasserting today,” he said. “We reaffirm our unwavering support for the Korean people. We trust that Korea, as a leading global democracy, will proceed in full accordance with its Constitution and rule of law.”

Monday’s talks came as South Korea seeks to ensure its alliance with the United States remains strong despite political uncertainties following Yoon’s impeachment over his failed martial law attempt.

Yoon’s surprise martial law imposition sparked concerns it could undermine the alliance with Washington and policy coordination on North Korean issues, especially ahead of the launch of the second Donald Trump administration.

Cho stressed that there will be no gaps in the bilateral alliance despite the political turmoil in Seoul.

“We will continue to move forward by closely coordinating all policy actions in solidarity, even after the Trump administration takes office,” he said.

The two sides also condemned the North’s latest launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile, which coincided with their talks on Monday.

“We agreed to thoroughly prepare for, and firmly respond to, any possible provocations by North Korea through a seamless combined defense posture and strengthened extended deterrence,” Cho said.

Blinken’s visit marked the first trip by a top U.S. official since Yoon’s impeachment. He arrived in South Korea late Sunday.

Ahead of the talks with Cho, Blinken paid a courtesy call on acting President Choi Sang-mok, the deputy prime minister who has taken over following the parliament’s impeachment of former acting President Han Duck-soo.

Blinken also met with members of the South’s National Assembly before departing Seoul.

Blinken was on a three-nation tour this week, with planned stops in Japan and France. The trip is widely expected to be his final overseas visit as the top U.S. diplomat under the Biden administration.