Russia and North Korea Defense Treaty; Attack on One Will Result in a Response from Both Countries

Afghan Voice Agency (AVA)-International Service: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in the tourist city of Wonsan in North Korea yesterday (Saturday, July 12) and met with the country’s leader, Kim Jong Un.

 

The North Korean news agency reported that Lavrov and Pyongyang officials emphasized the implementation of the comprehensive strategic treaty between them, including defending each other in the event of a foreign attack.

 

Cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang to protect each other’s territorial integrity was formed based on the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty, which was signed in June 2024 between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

 

The treaty, which replaces previous agreements, contains 23 articles, and one of its key clauses is a commitment to provide immediate military assistance in the event of an armed attack on one of the parties.

 

North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency reported that Sergei Lavrov, during his meeting with Kim Jong-un in the city of Wonsan, stressed the need to strengthen bilateral relations and implement the mutual defense treaty.

 

The meeting is a sign of deepening strategic ties between the two countries. North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui also announced that Pyongyang unconditionally supports Russia’s policies to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and that relations between the two countries have been upgraded to the level of inseparable cooperation.

 

Reuters also wrote that this cooperation has expanded to civilian areas and includes the reconstruction of conflict-affected areas, such as Russia’s Kursk region.

 

The treaty has been strengthened amid global tensions, especially the war in Ukraine. North Korea has provided troops and weapons such as long-range artillery to Russia, and in return, Moscow has transferred military technology, including air defense and electronic warfare systems, to Pyongyang.

 

However, the exact operational details of these commitments, including how the military assistance will be implemented, have not been made public. Putin has emphasized that this is a matter of internal relations between the two countries. The treaty will be valid indefinitely and will come into effect from the date of exchange of ratification instruments between the two sides.

 

On the other hand, this cooperation has raised concerns in the West, especially in South Korea, Japan and the United States, and some officials, such as the NATO secretary general, have considered it a threat to European and American security.