Yoon urges global unity against Russia-N. Korea military cooperation at G20

Nov 20, 2024, 10:35 am

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President Yoon Suk Yeol attends a session of the Group of 20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Nov. 18, 2024./ Source: Yonhap

AsiaToday reporter Hong Sun-mi

President Yoon Suk-yeol called for international solidarity to address growing concerns over illegal military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, as he strongly condemned the two countries at the Group of 20 (G20) summit in Brazil on Monday (local time).

Other major world leaders also joined in criticizing Russia and North Korea.

“The international community should work together to stop the Moscow-Pyongyang military cooperation while seriously recognizing the illegality of their military ties seriously,” Yoon said during his speech at the first session of the summit.

Yoon’s criticism came shortly after Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who attended the G20 session on behalf of President Vladimir Putin.

The condemnation by Yoon was made in the face of Russia.

After Yoon’s speech, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese backed the criticism in their speeches.

Lavrov reportedly did not talk about the war but only focused on support for undeveloped countries and climate change.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is said to have not spoken about the Russia-North Korea issue at the session.

The first G20 summit session ran more than two hours over its scheduled time due to heated debates and speeches from leaders of invited countries.

Yoon was supposed to hold separate bilateral summit talks with the leaders of South Africa, Indonesia and Mexico on the margins of the G20 summit, but they were canceled as the G20 sessions ended later than scheduled.

Meanwhile, Yoon will return home on Tuesday (local time).

#G20 #Yoon Suk-yeol #Russia #North Korea