National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan held an introductory call with Director Chang Hojin, his new counterpart at the Republic of Korea’s National Security Office, on January 9 to discuss developments related to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), including its increasing military cooperation with Russia and the provocative actions it has taken along the demilitarized zone.

The two officials condemned in the strongest possible terms the DPRK’s transfer of ballistic missiles to Russia and Russia’s use of these missiles against Ukraine. They noted that the transfer and use of these weapons increases the suffering of the Ukrainian people, violates multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions, undermines the global non-proliferation regime, and has significant security implications for Europe, the Korean Peninsula, and the Indo-Pacific region.

In light of growing DPRK-Russia cooperation, the two officials committed to continuing close cooperation in support of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. They also committed to maintain close collaboration on shared security challenges to bolster peace and security across the Indo-Pacific region and around the globe.

###