S. Korea aware Russia using N. Korean weapons in Ukraine: presidential official

SEOUL, Sept. 14 (Yonhap) — South Korea has long been aware that North Korea-provided weapons have been used by Russia in its ongoing war with Ukraine, the presidential office said Thursday.

A senior presidential official made the remark in response to a question on whether North Korean artillery rockets have been provided to Russia, as concerns are growing about arms trade between Moscow and Pyongyang after this week’s summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

“It’s hard to talk about because this is an intelligence matter,” the official said on customary condition of anonymity. “But we have long confirmed that kinds of weapons provided by North Korea were used by Russia in the Ukraine battlefield.”

The official also said it is premature to assess the results of the Kim-Putin summit as Kim’s trip to Russia is still ongoing. The official added that the North’s leader is expected to visit two more cities in Russia and tour military facilities on Friday and Saturday.

“We’re closely watching and scrutinizing all the situations going on and results going forward,” the official said. “We’re discussing multilateral measures we can take together with the United States, Japan and other key friends as well as individual measures that we can take on our own.”