Publisher’s Note
Voice of America (VOA) on Oct. 31 reported that another large ship has been spotted at the Najin Port of North Korea, which the United States had identified as a site for weapons trade between North Korea and Russia. VOA said, “Activities such as ship arrivals, departures, and container loading at the port have become routine,” adding “11 ships had arrived and left the pier by the 30th.”
On Oct. 13, with surveillance showing containers stacked at the port, John Kirby, the coordinator for strategic communications at the National Security Council (NSC), revealed that North Korea had delivered more than 1,000 containers of military equipment and ammunition to Russia.
However, both North Korea and Russia have been denying the allegations of weapons trading. During the North Korea-Russia summit talks on Sept. 13, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that they would seek opportunities for developing North Korea-Russia relations within the framework of international law, vehemently denying any suspicion of arms trade. He also emphasized that there are certain restrictions regarding military technology cooperation between North Korea and Russia, stating that Russia adheres to all the restrictions, right after the North Korea-Russia summit.
Nevertheless, the three satellite images presented by the U.S. government as evidence show containers stacked at the North Korean port on Sept. 7 to 8, the Russian ship Angara anchoring at Dunay Port on Sept. 12, and a train carrying the same containers arriving at an ammunition depot in Tikhoretsk, which is 290 km from the Ukraine border, on Oct. 1. This shows that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had already made the decision on and completed preparations for the arms support on Sept. 10 before departing for the meeting with President Putin on Sept. 13.
On Sept. 13, the day of the North Korea-Russia summit, Dmitry Peskov, the spokesperson for the Kremlin, stated, “We will not sign any form of document, including a joint declaration, after the summit.” Even just before the summit, Peskov emphasized that the two countries would discuss “sensitive areas” but would not disclose the details. His comments even suggested the possibility of Russia violating the U.N. sanctions imposed on North Korea.
In the meantime, at the 2021 Congress of the Workers’ Party, Kim Jong-un of North Korea presented the “Five Major Tasks,” which included the development of hypersonic weapons, the production of large nuclear warheads, the possession of nuclear-powered submarines and underwater-launched nuclear strategic weapons. It is speculated that North Korea intends to get the technologies related to the Five Major Tasks transferred from Russia in exchange for providing ammunition. There is also the possibility that Russia might assist North Korea in launching a reconnaissance satellite, which the latter failed to do two times this year. The possibility of Russia offering its latest fighter jets and advanced reconnaissance technology to North Korea cannot be ruled out either.
During an audit of the Foreign Affairs Ministry by the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee on Oct. 27, Minister Park Jin revealed that South Korea made it clear to Russia that South Korea will not turn a blind eye if Russia provides missile or weapons technology to North Korea. When asked whether Russia provided a separate briefing to the South Korean side after the North Korea-Russia summit, he stated, “We communicated with the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs through our embassy in Russia.”
The military trade between Russia and North Korea is a grave issue that significantly threatens our national security and U.S. security. Both the South Korean and U.S. governments should alert Russia to this fact and be prepared to take all necessary measures to protect their sovereignty.