South Korea summons Russian ambassador to protest defense pact with North Korea

South Korea considers providing arms to Ukraine amid rising tensions with North Korea and Russia.

South Korea summoned the Russian ambassador to protest a defense pact with North Korea on June 21, two days after Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an agreement vowing mutual defense with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on a state visit to Pyongyang.

South Korea’s government has denounced the agreement as a threat to the South’s security and said it will consider providing arms to Ukraine to help it fight Russia’s invasion.

South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong Kyun summoned Russian Ambassador Georgy Zinoviev to convey Seoul’s stance on the deal between Putin and Kim and on alleged military cooperation between Russia and North Korea. Seoul’s Foreign Ministry didn’t immediately confirm what was said during the meeting.

South Korea, a growing arms exporter with a well-equipped military backed by the United States, has provided humanitarian aid and other support to Ukraine while joining U.S.-led economic sanctions against Moscow. But it has not directly provided arms to Ukraine, citing a long-standing policy of not supplying weapons to countries actively engaged in conflict.