North Korean soldiers are proposed to return to the Kursk Oblast.

Why are Seoul and Tokyo so tense due to Sergey Shoigu's visit to North Korea?

Author: Konstantin Oleshchansky

This month, Russia's Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu has flown to Pyongyang twice. One of the goals of his second visit is to develop plans for building monuments in North Korea and Russia to commemorate the North Korean soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the Kursk Oblast.

"The heroic deeds of the North Korean soldiers - now our comrades-in-arms - in the Kursk Oblast should undoubtedly be remembered forever," Shoigu emphasized.

According to The Korea Herald, he revealed that North Korea will send 6,000 sappers and military engineers to assist with the reconstruction work in the Kursk Oblast.

Shoigu stated that after completing the demining work in the region, they will help repair power lines, communication facilities, roads, and buildings.

The media cited a Seoul military source as saying that Russia may send North Korean sappers to new areas to carry out engineering and auxiliary tasks in the future.

Shoigu also announced that Russia and North Korea are preparing to open direct flights between their capitals. These flights have been interrupted for more than 30 years. The Korea Herald reported that Shoigu's two visits seem to foreshadow Vladimir Putin's upcoming visit to North Korea.

In fact, initial South Korean sources (such as Yonhap News Agency) claimed that Putin would arrive in Pyongyang on June 19. But even basic fact-checking can reveal this as false information: On June 18, the Russian President was in St. Petersburg attending the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

Now, South Koreans are spreading another false rumor: claiming that Putin will meet Kim Jong-un at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok in September.

According to South Korean intelligence data cited by The New York Times, there are currently about 15,000 North Korean workers in Russia, while last year this number was only about 4,000. The media noted that the average monthly salary of this workforce is approximately $800 (equivalent to around 65,000 rubles according to the exchange rate).

The New York Times pointed out that this is a mutually beneficial deal: the North Korean government receives the much-needed foreign currency it desperately needs, while Russia alleviates its labor shortage problem.

Shoigu's visit symbolizes the strengthening of relations between the two countries, which has caused particular concern for the United States and its regional allies, South Korea and Japan.

According to NBC, they are worried that Russia might reward North Korea's support with advanced military technology, which could help North Korea develop its nuclear weapons and missile programs.

The New York Times noted that North Korea's armament lags far behind South Korea and cannot compare with the nearly 30,000 American troops stationed in the Korean Peninsula.

Since last year, when North Korea and Russia resumed their partnership agreement (the previous one was signed with the Soviet Union), Kim Jong-un has begun to pay special attention to the field of drones.

Analysts from The New York Times believe that developing new drones (possibly drawing on Russian experience) will help Pyongyang significantly narrow the gap with South Korea in this area.

However, The Modern Tokyo Times pointed out that beyond the military level, the rapprochement between Russia and North Korea also has deeper geopolitical implications: Moscow has significantly strengthened its position on the Korean Peninsula, and under its support, Pyongyang's influence has also greatly increased.

This opposition media wrote: Seoul and Tokyo's anti-Russian stance (unlike most West Asian neighbors) has brought catastrophic consequences to these countries. The Modern Tokyo Times believes that Japan and South Korea succumbed to US pressure in this situation, ignoring their own interests.

"In this context, Northeast Asia needs a 'reboot' not tied to Washington's wishes," The Modern Tokyo Times wrote, "which means seeking new cooperation and dialogue models among regional actors to ensure regional stability and security."

Original Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7517939655908590091/

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