SEOUL – The leaders of South Korea and New Zealand condemned North Korea’s weapons program and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine during a summit in Seoul on Wednesday, their first in nine years.
South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon also agreed to work towards elevating bilateral ties, according to Seoul’s presidential office.
“It is more important than ever for countries that share values, including South Korea and New Zealand, to form solidarity at this critical juncture, where challenges from authoritarian forces continue, with the war in Ukraine and military cooperation between Russia and North Korea,” Yoon said in his opening remarks.
Yoon and Luxon both condemned the North’s pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, as well as its growing military cooperation with Moscow, with Pyongyang widely accused of supplying arms to Moscow for use in Ukraine.
“Both sides stressed that they will continue to call on Russia to abide by its international obligations and immediately, completely, and unconditionally withdraw from the internationally recognized territory of Ukraine,” a joint statement said.
Seoul has committed humanitarian aid to Kyiv for its war effort but has refrained from sending direct military aid, citing a longstanding policy of not providing weapons to a country in conflict.
