SEOUL: South Korea and the European Union on Monday (Nov 4) jointly condemned North Korea’s supply of arms to Moscow and called on it to withdraw troops it has sent as Russia wages war against Ukraine.

The EU and South Korea were holding their first “strategic dialogue” meeting in Seoul, shortly after Washington and Seoul sounded the alarm over North Korea sends soldiers to help Russia.

In a joint statement, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul condemned the North’s “illegal arms transfers to the Russian Federation for use in attacking Ukraine.”

They called for an end to “illegal military cooperation” and the withdrawal of North Korean forces.

Borrell also met with South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun.

“Russia’s aggression against Ukraine is an existential threat,” Borrell said in a post on X that included a photo of him shaking hands with Kim. “The Republic of Korea is best placed to understand it. We are united in our support for Ukraine. We have encouraged them to step it up.”

The two countries also signed a security and defense partnership covering 15 areas, including cyber security and disarmament.