Blinken to visit South Korea as North Korea, Russia deepen ties

Gulf Today Report

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is due to arrive in Seoul on Wednesday for talks with his South Korean counterpart, as the allies step up cooperation in the face of growing concerns over North Korea's closer military ties with Russia.

North Korean state media on Wednesday slammed upcoming visits to Seoul by the United States' top diplomat and defence chief as "provocative" acts that would raise tensions in the region.

Blinken is set to arrive late Wednesday and will meet his South Korean counterpart Park Jin the following day to discuss issues including nuclear-armed North Korea, according to Seoul's foreign ministry.

The two-day visit, the first by a US secretary of state in two and a half years, is part of Blinken's broader Asia trip that has included meetings with G7 counterparts and talks with Japanese officials in Tokyo, as well as a later stop in India amid the Israel-Hamas conflict.

The Seoul visit comes as the United States and South Korea, along with Japan, have condemned what they say is the supply of arms and military equipment by North Korea to Russia.

Washington and Seoul see the closer military ties between the North and Russia, which is thought to be suffering depleting stocks of munitions in its war with Ukraine, as an effort by Pyongyang to secure strategic military capabilities in return.

North Korea is preparing to launch a spy satellite after having failed twice this year to put one in orbit.

South Korea's spy agency said last week North Korea was in the final stages of preparations for the launch after apparently receiving technical assistance from Russia.

Pyongyang and Moscow have denied claims of arms deals while their leaders pledged closer military cooperation when they met in September in Russia's far east.