“Recently, the US and other hostile powers have spoken of a ‘resolution violation’ of the SA.” [UN security council]spreading an “arms trade rumour” between the DPRK [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea] and Russia … we have never exported arms or ammunition to Russia in the past and will not plan to export them,” the state-run KCNA news agency said on Thursday. The statement cited, but did not name, North Korea’s vice director-general of the Ministry of National Defense’s General Armament Bureau KCNA reported that the official called on Washington to stop making “reckless remarks” and “keep its mouth shut.” Biden administration officials earlier this month confirmed a declassified US intelligence assessment that North Korea was in the process of selling weapons to Russia in violation of UN Security Council sanctions that prohibit Pyongyang from importing or exporting weapons. The stockpile reportedly included millions of artillery shells and rockets, as Moscow’s efforts to ease serious supply shortages in Ukraine have been exacerbated by US-led export controls and sanctions. The official cited in Thursday’s report said North Korea had never recognized the “illegal” UN sanctions imposed in response to Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programs, adding that the arms trade was the “legitimate right of a sovereign state ”, according to an English translation. of the statement. “But we take this opportunity to make one thing clear. We have never exported arms or ammunition to Russia in the past and will not plan to export them,” the official said. It is not certain where the rumor spread by the US came from, but it is aimed at tarnishing the image of the DPRK.” Calling the reported arms sale a “possible purchase,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby clarified that “there is no indication that the purchase has been completed and certainly no indication that these weapons are being used inside Ukraine.” Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul and a commentator on North Korean affairs, said the regime’s denial of arms sales should be viewed with caution. “North Korea prefers to keep its arms sales under the table, not only because such transactions can be affected by sanctions, but also because Pyongyang’s clients tend to engage in other illegal behavior as well,” he said. “North Korea’s claims are not credible, especially as the Kim regime, like Putin’s Russia, tries to spread counter-narratives against US intelligence and international criticism.” Experts believe North Korea could theoretically become an important source of small arms, artillery and other munitions for Russia, as both have defense systems based on those developed during the Soviet era. Despite Thursday’s denial of arms sales, North Korea has said since the start of the war in Ukraine that it hopes to strengthen ties with Russia. He blamed the US for the conflict and said Russian military action was a justified response to Western “hegemonic politics”. North Korea has also shown interest in sending construction workers to help rebuild pro-Russian breakaway areas in eastern Ukraine. North Korea has traditionally earned foreign currency by sending its citizens to work abroad. Under UN sanctions, they were supposed to be repatriated by the end of 2019, but a significant number of workers from the country reportedly continued to work in Russia and China, as well as Laos and Vietnam, after the deadline passed. In July, North Korea became the only country besides Russia and Syria to recognize the independence of the territories, Donetsk and Luhansk. In a letter marking the anniversary of Korea’s liberation from 35 years of Japanese rule at the end of World War II, Putin told his North Korean counterpart Kim Jong Un that their countries would “expand comprehensive and constructive bilateral relations with joint efforts . “. In a message to Putin, Kim said “strategic and tactical cooperation, support and solidarity” between the two countries has reached a new level amid their joint efforts to thwart threats and provocations from “hostile military forces.”
