SEOUL, September 15. /TASS/. Russia and the DPRK potentially resuming full-scale military cooperation stems from US policy and its support for Ukraine, the head of Department of Security Strategy Studies & Center for Chinese Studies of the Sejong institute in Korea Jae-Hung Chung told a TASS correspondent.

"If the West and the United States do not want military, economic and security cooperation between North Korea and Russia, they should have at least stopped military and economic support for Ukraine and behaved differently," the expert pointed out. He referred to the Republic of Korea as a Western country.

Jae-Hung Chung added that cooperation between Russia and the DPRK seems to be a natural consequence of the current international situation. He explained that the situation in Ukraine has become interconnected with the problems of the Korean Peninsula and Taiwan. The United States has been pursuing an aggressive policy towards Russia, the DPRK and China for a long time, the expert noted.

Washington pressured them, "militarized Ukraine and promoted Nazism in that country," imposed "constant sanctions and demonized North Korea," and supplied arms to Taiwan. "Ultimately, the situation in Ukraine arose," he summarized.

At the same time, Jae-Hung Chung believes that the Republic of Korea should not respond to the rapprochement between North Korea, Russia, and China by strengthening its partnership with Japan and the United States. In his opinion, in such a case, the "Ukrainian scenario" may be repeated and "fratricidal nuclear war" may break out.

About the DPRK leader's visit

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is currently in Russia on an official visit. After meeting with Kim at the Vostochny Spaceport on Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Moscow is complying with UN Security Council sanctions, but there are prospects for military-technical cooperation. On Friday, Kim Jong Un visited the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Plant in the Khabarovsk Region, which produces Su-35 and Su-57 fighter jets.

Putin said at a meeting of the Valdai international discussion club held in the fall of 2022 that South Korea's decision to supply weapons to Ukraine would ruin relations between the two countries. "And how would the Republic of Korea feel if we resumed cooperation with North Korea in this [military] area? Would that make you happy? Please pay attention to this," the went on to say.

The Republic of Korea has provided humanitarian and financial assistance to Ukraine. It supplied military items of a non-lethal nature, such as body armor, but not weapons. Nevertheless, information appeared in the press about the supply of South Korean shells to the United States, which enabled Washington to send its ammunition to Ukraine.