MOSCOW, October 21. /TASS/. Cooperation between Russia and North Korea is not directed against other countries, so it should not cause concern, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

"North Korea is our close neighbor, our partner, and we are developing our relations in all areas. This is our sovereign right," the spokesman emphasized.

"This should not worry anyone, because this cooperation is not directed against third countries," Peskov said. "We will continue to develop this cooperation," he pointed out.

Conflicting information

The Kremlin spokesman advised to treat information about the alleged presence of North Korean servicemen in Russia as contradictory. "We see a lot of contradictory information: the South Koreans claim one thing, then the Pentagon says they have no confirmation of such statements. So there is a lot of conflicting information," he said. "This is probably how it (such information - TASS) should be treated," Peskov added.

"This is a question that concerns the conduct of the special military operation, you should address the Defense Ministry," the Kremlin spokesman added when asked whether the North Korean military is in Russia and whether their participation in the special military operation is planned.

The allegation that North Korean servicemen may have been sent to Ukraine was made by South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun. This is how he interpreted the alliance pact between Moscow and Pyongyang. On October 19, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin admitted that he could not confirm the Ukrainian versions about the presence of North Korean troops in the zone of Russia's special military operation. However, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte discussed with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol rumors about North Korean troops allegedly being sent to Russia to participate in the special military operation, calling such a hypothetical scenario a "serious escalation."

On October 10, Peskov said that press allegations about the participation of Korean People's Army troops in Russia's special military operation in Ukraine were nothing but another bogus.